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Indonesia Wildfire Helicopter Crashes, Crew Member Killed
9 Nov
Summary
- A helicopter crashed into a river during a wildfire mission in Indonesia.
- One Indonesian crew member died; two others were rescued safely.
- The crash occurred while battling widespread wildfires exacerbated by El Niño.
A helicopter assisting in the fight against raging wildfires in Indonesia has crashed into a river, claiming the life of an Indonesian crew member. The Super Puma H-225 aircraft, contracted for firefighting, plunged into the water in South Kalimantan during a mission. While one crew member perished, two others—an Australian and a New Zealander—were safely recovered and hospitalized.
The incident occurred amidst a severe wildfire season in Indonesia, exacerbated by drought conditions linked to El Niño. These fires have produced toxic haze affecting large parts of Southeast Asia, leading to health concerns and prompting international assistance, including from Australia.
This crash follows another recent helicopter incident in central Kalimantan, which resulted in the deaths of three crew members. Authorities have retrieved the black box from that crash to aid their investigation into its cause, highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by those battling the blazes.
