The tail of the helicopter VN-8650 was salvaged Thursday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The body of the fifth and final victim from the sightseeing helicopter crash over Hạ Long Bay has was recovered on Friday morning.

The last victim, Nguyễn Thị Hội, born in 1963, from Đà Nẵng City, was discovered a couple of hundred metres from the wreckage of the aircraft that went down on Wednesday in the waters between Quảng Ninh Province and Hải Phòng City.

Hội was the wife of 59-year-old Hồ Tá Lực, whose birthday was the reason for the trip to the northern region.

Joining them on the helicopter tour were Lực’s younger sister Hồ Thị Oanh (born in 1972), and a friend of the family, Phạm Thị Bê (born in 1958).

Oanh’s was cremated at the An Lạc Viên Crematorium in Hạ Long City, while the bodies of Lực and Bê – the first to have been discovered on the night of incident – were transported by road back to Đà Nẵng for burial according to the families’ wishes.

The body of the pilot, Colonel Chu Quang Minh, was found early Thursday morning. He was handed over to his family later in the afternoon for the funeral in Hà Nội.

The Northern Việt Nam Helicopter Company, who owns the downed helicopter and operates the air sightseeing tours, has taken on the responsibilities of transporting the bodies and ashes of the victims.

In the days since the helicopter went down, 500 military officers along with dozens of vehicles and vessels were deployed to search for the victims and the helicopter.

Quảng Ninh Province decided to give to the family of the deceased VNĐ20 million (US$852) in support, Hạ Long City additionally offers VNĐ10 million.

In the aftermath of the deadly crash, all helicopter sightseeing tours across the country have been suspended until further notice.

The aircraft along with the flight recorder have been brought back to shores for examination.

PVI Insurance, Bảo Việt, and Military Insurance Corporation partnered to provide insurance for the helicopters of Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (VNH), which are currently working together to handle the incident.

PVI Insurance, in particular, has stated that it is on-site and working closely with VNH and the relevant authorities to address insurance-related issues promptly.

The insurance plan covers various aspects, including fuselage insurance, the airline's liability insurance for passengers and third parties, and accident insurance for pilots.

The helicopter was Bell-505 Jet Ranger X, developed by the US-based Bell Helicopter, and first debuted in 2013.

The Việt Nam Helicopter Corporation received two of them in 2019 to use for sightseeing tour services in Hạ Long Bay. — VNS