GEORGE TOWN: The body of Malaysian climber Zulkifli Yusuf, 37, who died during a climbing expedition to Mount Denali in Alaska, United States, arrived home this morning.
The Korean Airlines cargo flight KE373 carrying Zulkifli's body landed at the Penang International Airport here at 8.42 am.
His remains were flown home at 7.15 am Wednesday (local time) with transit flights in Los Angeles and Incheon, South Korea.
A hearse was seen entering the Bayan Lepas Air Cargo Complex at 8.37 am and departed at 10 am to transport the body to Taiping, Perak for burial.
Accompanying Zulkifli on his final journey were his father Yusuf Abdullah, two of his siblings, relatives and representatives of the Alpine Club Malaysia (ACM).
The body of the eldest of five siblings will be taken to the family home in Kampung Temerlok, Trong and the funeral prayer will be held at Al Mahmudiah Mosque. Burial is expected after the Zohor prayer.
ACM previously said that the process of bringing home the body was carried out in collaboration with the insurance company, funeral management agents, the Malaysian Consulate General in Los Angeles and Alpine Club representatives.
On June 1, ACM announced that Zulkifli, one of the three Malaysian climbers who had been stranded at an altitude of 19,700 feet on Mount Denali since May 28, died at 6 am on May 29 (local time) while taking refuge in a snow cave known as Football Field. – BERNAMA