Explainer: How remote is Long Lellang, where helicopter crashed?
KUALA LUMPUR: Long Lellang is a remote settlement in Sarawak comprising two villages — Long Lellang A and Long Lellang B.
Long Lellang is a secluded settlement in the Sarawak region of Malaysia, situated near the border with Kalimantan and shared with neighboring villages of Long Lellang A and Long Lellang B. The area is primarily inhabited by the Kelabit and Penan communities. Accessing Long Lellang is a significant undertaking, as it can take between four and six days to reach the village on foot through dense jungle terrain. The settlement is part of the Marudi district within the Miri region.
Marudi is approximately six hours away from Long Lellang by road, while Miri is a seven-hour drive. Supplies such as general rations and food are transported from Miri, while local produce—including coffee and rice—is marketed to the outside world. Cargo and fuel can also be delivered via longboat, requiring an additional two hours to transfer the cargo to a car for the final leg of the journey to Marudi.
Despite its remote location, Long Lellang boasts essential facilities including a primary school, a clinic, and flying doctor services that operate weekly. The air service caters to a diverse group of passengers, including retirees, teachers, nurses, and government officials. Between 2016 and 2019, an average of 1,960 individuals traveled to and from Long Lellang annually, with passenger numbers fluctuating from 1,847 in 2016 to 2,247 in 2018. These statistics are provided by MasWings.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
