Crew member missing as Indonesian water-bombing helicopter crashes

A helicopter battling Indonesian wildfires crashed into a river on Sunday while attempting to collect water, with two crew members rescued and one still missing. The incident occurred in Borneo's South Kalimantan province, marking the second such crash involving a firefighting helicopter in just two days. The first accident on Wednesday resulted in the deaths of three people when a military chopper plunged into waters off Borneo.

Two Australian nationals survived the Sunday incident and were reported safe by Berton Panjaitan, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. The third crew member, an Indonesian national, remains unaccounted for. Disturbing video footage showed the firefighting helicopter being slowly pulled downwards after filling its water bucket from the Barito River, ultimately crashing nose-first into the water.

The Southeast Asian archipelago has been grappling with uncontrollable blazes that have scorched vast areas of Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua, leading to hazardous haze that drifted to neighboring Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and Singapore. This recent crash took place while the air fleet was conducting a water-bombing operation.

The helicopter involved in the Sunday crash was a Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma, contracted by the disaster mitigation agency for water-bombing operations. The incident occurred as the aircraft was maneuvering after scooping up water from the river using a Bambi Bucket. Amateur video footage captured the helicopter losing control while performing the water-scooping maneuver.

On Wednesday, a helicopter carrying eight people crashed while fighting fires in Tanjung Puting National Park, home to critically endangered Bornean orangutans. The army stated that the accident occurred during the aircraft's attempt to scoop seawater for water-bombing, and the cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

Indonesia has heavily relied on air operations, including firefighting helicopters, to combat the devastating fires that have destroyed over 1.9 million hectares, according to deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas. The fires are exacerbated by a strong El Nino weather phenomenon, which typically causes drought in Indonesia.