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Crew Member Missing as Indonesian Water-Bombing Helicopter Crashes
Two Australians were rescued after the helicopter plunged into a river during a water-bombing mission, while officials said one Indonesian crew member remains missing.
- On Sunday, a helicopter crashed into the Barito River while scooping water for firefighting operations, with two Australian crew members rescued and one Indonesian crew member remaining missing.
- Indonesia has struggled for months to contain wildfires driven by El Nino, which have destroyed more than 1.9 million hectares across Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua, causing choking haze that drifted to Malaysia, Singapore, and East Timor.
- This incident marks the second firefighting helicopter crash in days, following a Wednesday military chopper that plunged into waters off Borneo, killing three people during operations in Tanjung Puting National Park.
- Dramatic video footage shows the Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma being dragged downward after filling its bucket, eventually plunging nose-first into the river; the disaster mitigation agency had contracted the aircraft for water-bombing missions.
- Authorities are investigating the cause of Sunday's accident, which occurred during water-bombing maneuvers. Aside from aerial support, Indonesia relies on ground-based firefighters to combat the widespread blazes across the archipelago.
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21 Articles
21 Articles
Sydney Morning Herald+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Australians walk away from helicopter crash while fighting fires in remote Indonesia
An Indonesian crew member is missing after a helicopter plunged into a remote Indonesian river while fighting fires that have raged across the island of Borneo.
·North Sydney, Australia
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The evacuation process for the Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed in Central Kalimantan waters was hampered by very murky and muddy water conditions and high waves.
The investigation team is still gathering facts and evidence at the scene.
The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is still trying to retrieve the black box from the Indonesian Army MI-17V5 helicopter that crashed in Seruyan.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left5Leaning Right4Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Left
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Left
46% Left
L 46%
C 18%
R 36%
Factuality
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