The Nuri helicopter, with six air force crew on board, that went missing while flying from the Sungai Besi base in Kuala Lumpur to the Gambang base in Pahang yesterday, is still not located as of 11am today.

Bernama reported that the search and rescue operation was intensified at first light this morning, with aerial and ground scouring around Genting Sempah, near Genting Highlands, where the helicopter last appeared on the radar.

Three Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) helicopters, police, Fire and Rescue Department personnel and 100 soldiers from the Bentong-based Royal Malay Regiment camp have been deployed in the search.

The transport helicopter, carrying air force personnel to replace their colleagues at the base in Gambang, near Kuantan, lost contact with the air base control tower at 9.35am yesterday, 10 minutes after it took off from the Sungai Besi RMAF base.

The Nuri was scheduled to reach its destination at 10.25am but failed to appear.

Names revealed

Meanwhile, the New Straits Times today revealed the names of the missing six. They are pilot Captain Norazlan Termuzi (left) and co-pilot Captain Nor Intan Asykeen Mohamad Arof, Sergeant Husanizam Arifin, Sergeant Mohd Azmi Mohd Yassin, Senior Airman Mohd Riduan Ahmad and Senior Airman Saifulizam Alias.

RMAF public relations officer Major Zulkifli Abdul Latif said in a statement that the next-of-kin of the crew and passengers have been informed of the incident.

In Kuantan, Pahang police chief Ayob Mohamad said they received a call from the air force at about 2.30pm yesterday seeking help to locate the missing chopper.

Ayob said he could not confirm as yet whether the helicopter went missing when flying over Bentong.

"We also cannot confirm whether the helicopter had crashed. We only received information that a helicopter has gone missing," he told reporters then.