Two Australian pilots have survived a helicopter crash in Indonesia while fighting forest fires, but an Indonesian crew member remains missing after the aircraft plunged into the Barito River.
The Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma came down on Sunday in South Kalimantan province as it collected water using a suspended bucket, according to Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency.
The two pilots were receiving medical treatment, while an 18-member rescue team was deployed to search for the missing crew member.
Amateur video circulating online appears to show the helicopter flying low over the river before descending into the water during the collection manoeuvre.
The privately owned aircraft had been contracted by the disaster management agency to carry out water-bombing operations. It has also been regularly used to support emergency response missions in Banjarmasin, Pontianak and Surabaya.
Australian personnel deployed as fires spread
The helicopter crash in Indonesia came as the country faced its worst wildfires in a decade, with Australia sending firefighting personnel to help tackle the blazes.
The fires have been burning mainly on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra since July. Indonesian authorities have said the situation has been worsened by a severe El Niño weather pattern, land clearance using fire and water shortages affecting firefighting efforts.
Toxic smoke and haze from the fires have caused a health crisis in neighbouring countries, with the pollution drifting as far as the Philippines, more than 800 kilometres away.
