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View all search resultsOne dead as a second helicopter crashes during water bombing in Kalimantan
The civilian Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma helicopter lost altitude while scooping water, in a similar manner as the Indonesian Army Aviation Center's (Puspenerbad) Mi-17V5 which crashed on Wednesday, killing three.
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People watched a Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma firefighting helicopter on the banks of the Barito River on Nov. 8 after it crashed while scooping up water to extinguish forest and land fires in Barito Kuala regency, South Kalimantan. (AFP/Reina)
A
civilian helicopter crashed into the Barito River in Barito Kuala regency, South Kalimantan, on Sunday, during a water bombing operation to fight forest fires, killing one and injuring two.
“The helicopter with registration number VH-HGM was known to carry three flight crew,” the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement.
Sunday’s crash took place at about 11:56 a.m., just four days after an Indonesian Army Mi-17V5 heavy transport helicopter crashed while scooping water for a water bombing operation to fight forest fires in neighboring Central Kalimantan on Wednesday.
Initially, the agency reported that all crew survived the crash. Later in the day, however, BNPB issued another statement saying that two foreign helicopter crew members survived the crash while an Indonesian crew member was still missing. The Indonesian crew member was later found dead.
“We received information from Jenamas district head, Zulkarnain Masdipura, that one helicopter crew was found dead and is currently being evacuated,” South Barito Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) executive director Agus Inyulius said, as quoted by Antaranews.com on Sunday.
The dead crew is identified as Yayan Supyansury, a helicopter landing officer (HLO). The surviving crew members are Australian Michael John Betterridge and New Zealander Hugh Andrew John Page.
A video clip circulated on social media shows a Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma heavy transport helicopter was scooping water using a Bambi bucket from the river. Moments later the helicopter seemed to lose its altitude and its nose then pointed down before crashing into the river.
