GEORGE TOWN: The body of Malaysian climber Zulkifli Yusuf, 37, who died during a climbing expedition to Mount Denali in Alaska, US, arrived home this morning.
The Korean Airlines’ cargo flight KE373 carrying Zulkifli’s body landed at the Penang International Airport here at 8.42am.
His remains were flown home at 7.15am on Wednesday (local time), with transit flights in Lost Angeles and Incheon, South Korea.
A hearse entered the Bayan Lepas air cargo complex at 8.37am and departed at 10am to transport the body to Trong, Taiping, 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 prayers will be held at Al Mahmudiah Mosque. Burial is expected after the Zohor prayer.
ACM previously said 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 6am on May 29 (local time) while taking refuge in a snow cave known as Football Field. Zulkfili, an engineer, was not married.
The other two climbers with him were rescued.
