Indonesian firefighting helicopter crash in Borneo kills 1

A crew member of an Indonesian firefighting helicopter died on Sunday when the aircraft crashed into a river while attempting to scoop up water for an airborne drop, according to a local disaster agency. The incident occurred in Borneo Island's South Kalimantan province, marking the second fatal crash involving a firefighting aircraft in just two days. The disaster mitigation agency reported that two Australian pilots survived the crash and were safe, though their condition was not yet known.

The firefighting helicopter was seen being slowly dragged downward after filling its water bucket in the Barito River before plunging nose-first into the water. A joint search and rescue team later recovered the final victim during a diving operation involving four divers. The Southeast Asian archipelago has been grappling with blazes that have scorched vast areas of Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua islands, producing hazardous haze that drifted to neighboring Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore.

This incident took place during a water-bombing operation, according to the disaster mitigation agency's spokesman, Berton Panjaitan. The helicopter involved was a Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma, contracted by the agency for water-bombing missions. On Wednesday, another helicopter carrying eight people crashed while fighting fires in Tanjung Puting National Park, which is home to critically endangered Bornean orangutans.

The cause of that crash is under investigation. Beyond ground-based firefighters, Indonesia has heavily relied on air operations to combat the fires that have devastated over 1.9 million hectares, according to deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas. The fires are partly fueled by a strong El Nino weather phenomenon, which typically brings drought to Indonesia.