Crew member missing as Indonesian water-bombing helicopter crashes
The crash in South Kalimantan was the second helicopter accident in days, following a military chopper crash off Borneo that killed three.
A helicopter battling Indonesian wildfires crashed into a river on Sunday, leaving one crew member unaccounted for, according to an official speaking to AFP. The incident occurred as the Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma, contracted for water-bombing operations by the disaster mitigation agency, was scooping water from the Barito River in South Kalimantan province.
Two crew members, including two Australian nationals, were rescued and reported safe, while the third member remains missing. This crash marks the second fatal incident involving a firefighting helicopter in recent days, with a military chopper also plunging into the sea off Borneo on Wednesday, resulting in three fatalities. The region has been grappling with devastating wildfires, which have scorched vast areas of Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua islands, generating thick smog that has drifted to neighboring Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore.
In footage captured by an amateur video, the Super Puma appears to lose control after filling its water bucket, ultimately nose-diving into the river.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
