Two Australians have survived a helicopter crash in the Barito River while helping fight forest fires in Indonesia, with rescuers searching for a third crew member.
The aircraft came down on Sunday in South Kalimantan province, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). The missing crew member is an Indonesian citizen.
The two Australian pilots were receiving medical treatment, the BNPB said. An 18-member rescue team has been deployed to search for the missing crew member.
The helicopter crash comes as Indonesia faces its worst wildfires in a decade. Australia has sent firefighting personnel to help tackle blazes concentrated mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.
The fires began in July and have been worsened by a severe El Niño weather pattern, according to the Indonesian government. Land clearance using fire and water shortages have also hampered efforts to control them.
Toxic haze and smoke from the fires have caused a health crisis in neighbouring countries, with the pollution drifting as far as the Philippines, more than 800km away.
