One individual has died after a helicopter crashed right into a river in Indonesia throughout a mission to combat wildfires in South Kalimantan.
An Indonesian crew member was killed, whereas two others on board – an Australian and New Zealander – have been “discovered protected” and brought to hospital for remedy, in keeping with Indonesia’s catastrophe mitigation company.
Investigations into the accident are ongoing, the company mentioned on Sunday, including that it might proceed its firefighting operations.
For months, components of Indonesia have been battling wildfires which have shrouded massive swathes of South East Asia in poisonous haze. The blazes in forests and peatlands are fuelled by a dry season that has been exacerbated by El Niño.
Movies posted by Indonesia’s catastrophe authorities and circulating on social media present the helicopter hovering over the river with a helicopter bucket – a collapsible container sometimes used to douse water over fires – earlier than it nosedives into the water.
Different movies present rescuers later reaching the partially submerged helicopter by boat.
The fallen chopper, a Tremendous Puma H-225, was owned by an organization that catastrophe authorities had contracted for the firefighting operations, a catastrophe official informed AFP.
The incident comes days after one other helicopter crashed in central Kalimantan throughout a firefighting operation, killing three crew members.
The army mentioned on Saturday that that they had managed to retrieve the helicopter’s blackbox, which might assist their investigations into the reason for the crash.
Regardless of intensive firefighting efforts, the wildfires in Indonesia this yr have been particularly troublesome to tame as a consequence of drought situations exacerbated by a stronger El Niño.
The raging wildfires despatched poisonous smog blanketing cities in Indonesia, turning the air amber and triggering a surge in respiratory sicknesses in cities throughout the islands of Kalimantan and Sumatra.
The haze additionally drifted to neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, the place it has triggered public well being issues.
International governments have despatched help to assist with firefighting efforts, together with Australia, which has deployed plane and 20 personnel together with pilots and paramedics.