Death toll from Indonesian water-bombing helicopter crash rises to two

The death toll from the crash of an Indonesian military helicopter during a firefighting mission off the coast of Borneo island has risen to two, the army reported. The helicopter, carrying eight people, had taken off from Seruyan district in Central Kalimantan province earlier in the day to combat wildfires in Tanjung Puting National Park.

The park is known for housing crucial species like the critically endangered Bornean orangutan. So far, two crew members are confirmed dead and five others have been rescued. One crew member remains missing and efforts to locate and evacuate them continue. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Indonesia has been grappling with a series of wildfires for months, affecting the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua. These blazes have not only destroyed vast areas of forest but also generated thick smoke that has caused air pollution, including in neighboring Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore. The Indonesian Transportation Ministry initially reported three fatalities, with one victim being taken to a hospital and two remaining under evacuation. This discrepancy in the reported death count is yet to be clarified.

Indonesia's Transportation Ministry and other sources have highlighted the extensive use of air operations, including water-bombing, to combat the fires, which have ravaged over 1.9 million hectares of land. Contributing factors to the fires include the El Nino weather phenomenon, which typically leads to drought in Indonesia, as well as deforestation and drainage of peatlands. Experts attribute the destruction of these fires to a combination of these factors.

In September, pollution from the ongoing fires led to an estimated 3,560 deaths in Indonesia, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Meanwhile, over 400,000 individuals have sought medical attention for respiratory issues caused by the toxic haze. The Indonesian health ministry reported these figures on Wednesday. Recent tragedies include the deaths of two pilots after a plane landed in South Papua and the loss of eight individuals in another helicopter crash in Indonesia's West Kalimantan.