Australians walk away from helicopter crash while fighting fires in remote Indonesia
An Indonesian crew member is missing after a helicopter plunged into a remote Indonesian river while fighting fires that have raged across the island of Borneo.
JAKARTA, Nov 8 — Three crew members survived a helicopter crash into the Barito River in Indonesia while carrying out aerial firefighting duties, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma helicopter came down near South Kalimantan province after reportedly losing control during water-bombing operations.
Amateur video footage captured the helicopter struggling to maintain control after collecting water using a Bambi Bucket. The three crew members, an Australian, a New Zealander, and an Indonesian national, were all evacuated and the aircraft was moved to the riverbank. The helicopter, registered VH-HGM and numbered 2878, was contracted to the National Disaster Management Agency for firefighting support.
A comprehensive report on the crash's circumstances will be compiled for public and official review. This incident follows a similar crash on Nov 4, when an Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 helicopter also crashed during a water-bombing operation, resulting in three deaths and five injuries.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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