An Indonesian water-bombing helicopter crashed into the Barito River in South Kalimantan on Sunday, leaving one crew member missing while two Australian nationals on board were safely rescued, channelnewsasia.com reported.
The crash on Borneo Island occurred as the Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma scooped water to fight relentless wildfires sweeping through the region. Berton Panjaitan, a spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency, stated that amateur video footage captured the aircraft losing control and plunging nose-first into the water after filling its bambi bucket.
A Second Aviation Disaster Amid Borneo Wildfires
Sunday’s accident marks the second firefighting helicopter crash on Borneo within days. On November 4, an Indonesian Army MI-17V5 helicopter carrying eight crew members crashed near Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan while scooping seawater, resulting in three fatalities.
Commander at XXII/Tambun Bungai Military District, Major General Zainul Arifin, confirmed that five crew members from the November 4 flight survived with injuries, while two were confirmed dead and search operations continued for another missing crew member, according to ANTARA News. The military helicopter, bearing registration number HA-5235, experienced technical problems mid-flight after departing from Kuala Pembuang.
The latest accident involving the Super Puma contracted by the disaster mitigation agency leaves authorities searching for the third crew member, an Indonesian national, while another military crash occurred earlier.
Fires Destroy 1.9 Million Hectares and Trigger Respiratory Infections
Deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas reports that fires have destroyed more than 1.9 million hectares across Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua, generating a choking haze that drifted into neighboring Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore.
While disaster agency chief Kristomei Sianturi highlighted ongoing water-bombing and cloud-seeding operations, Health Ministry data indicated that fires and haze have triggered more than 400,000 cases of acute respiratory infections across seven Indonesian provinces.
Authorities Investigate Causes of Crashes and Search for Missing Crew
Both the Indonesian Army and disaster mitigation officials have stated that the exact causes of the November 4 and November 8 crashes remain under investigation. Search and rescue teams continue efforts to locate the remaining missing crew members from both incidents.
