PETALING JAYA – The Elmina plane crash tragedy has claimed its eleventh fatality, some ten days after the Beechcraft 390 Premier 1 aircraft crashed while heading towards the Subang airport on August 17.
The ginger cat that gained much attention after it was rescued from the site of the incident died yesterday.
Dr Zul Erwan Azmi, the veterinarian who has been taking care of “Oyen” since he was rescued by Health Ministry (MoH) ambulance personnel, shared on Instagram that besides the injuries he sustained, the cat had also been diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
It is among the most common diseases in cats worldwide and it attacks the immune system. In simple terms, FIV is to cats what HIV and AIDS are to humans.
There is no known cure for FIV; vets would normally treat the secondary illnesses stemming from the virus once FIV symptoms begin to show.
Dr Zul said complications from the wounds on Oyen’s spine made the infection spread faster.
“Oyen started to become weak…we administered the best treatment we could give, but sadly, he did not make it.
“Thank you to everyone who prayed for Oyen,” he said.
A few days ago, the ambulance personnel who rescued Oyen from the crash site paid him a visit at Zul Erwan Veterinary Clinic in Sg Buloh.
The clinic received many messages and calls from people interested in adopting Oyen. However, the cat was not up for adoption.
In an Instagram post, Dr Zul shared the names of those who rescued Oyen: Mohd Azwa Mohd Zain, Arlyia, Richie Bobby Bujang and Tommy Leo Rahsak.
Taking to Instagram Stories, Richie expressed his sadness over Oyen’s passing.
“The 11th victim is officially gone. Utmost thanks to Zul Erwan and team who had done a really great job saving Oyen sincerely.
“Thanks a lot to my team and to everyone who supported Oyen. I'm sure he’s very grateful to have you guys standing with him,” Richie wrote.
The Elmina plane disaster on August 17 claimed 10 human lives when it crashed just minutes away from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.
Eight of them were on board the aircraft, while two were road users in the vicinity of Persiaran Elmina where the plane plummeted.
Ambulance personnel found Oyen in the aftermath of the crash with a severe cut on his body.
They then rushed him to Dr Zul’s veterinary clinic.
In another latest development, police have recorded the statement of over ten individuals to help in the investigation.
They included those who had video footage of the incident, as well as representatives from the airline company and from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
The authorities are now waiting for developments from the investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
A technical investigation based on Annex 13 – Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO Annex 13), has been initiated by the AAIB team.
Ten United States aviation experts were at the site of the incident. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the plane is being sent to its Florida-based manufacturer in the US to retrieve the last 30 minutes of data before the crash for analysis.
The CVR was initially sent for analysis at a laboratory in Singapore, but there were technical issues and limitations that prevented the retrieval of the audio recording. – The Vibes, August 28, 2023
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