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On November 8, 2026, a helicopter operated by Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) crashed into the Barito River in South Kalimantan while conducting a water‑bombing mission to fight the region’s raging forest fires. The aircraft, believed to be an Airbus Helicopters H225 (EC225LP) Super Puma, was collecting water from the river when it lost control and plunged into the water. One crew member was killed; the remaining crew were rescued by local divers and emergency responders. The incident follows a second crash that occurred just four days earlier. On November 4, an Indonesian Army Mil Mi‑17V5 helicopter (serial number HA‑5235) crashed into the waters near Sungai Perlu in Central Kalimantan while also collecting water for a firefighting operation near Tanjung Puting National Park. The crash claimed the lives of three army personnel; five others survived. The navy recovered the helicopter’s flight data recorder on November 7, and investigations are ongoing. Both accidents took place during the same type of mission—low‑altitude water collection and aerial firefighting—an operation that is inherently risky due to repeated low‑level approaches, changing aircraft weight, and challenging environmental conditions. BNPB spokesperson Berton Pantzaitan confirmed that the second crash occurred while the helicopter was “collecting water from the river with the help of a container” and that the aircraft “appears to have lost control during the water‑collection phase.” He added that the last victim was located by a joint rescue team that included four divers after 18:00 local time. Indonesia has been battling extensive forest fires across Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua for months, with the El Niño weather pattern contributing to severe drought conditions. According to the forest‑loss monitoring organization Nusantara Atlas, more than 19 million hectares of forest and peatland have burned in the first nine months of the year. The fires have produced dense smoke plumes that have affected not only Indonesia but also neighboring countries such as Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore. Article source: IN.gr | Image credit: IN.gr
On November 8, 2026, a helicopter operated by Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) crashed into the Barito River in South Kalimantan while conducting a water‑bombing mission to fight the region’s raging forest fires. The aircraft, believed to be an Airbus Helicopters H225 (EC225LP) Super Puma, was collecting water from the river when it lost control and plunged into the water. One crew member was killed; the remaining crew were rescued by local divers and emergency responders. The incident follows a second crash that occurred just four days earlier. On November 4, an Indonesian Army Mil Mi‑17V5 helicopter (serial number HA‑5235) crashed into the waters near Sungai Perlu in Central Kalimantan while also collecting water for a firefighting operation near Tanjung Puting National Park. The crash claimed the lives of three army personnel; five others survived. The navy recovered the helicopter’s flight data recorder on November 7, and investigations are ongoing. Both accidents took place during the same type of mission—low‑altitude water collection and aerial firefighting—an operation that is inherently risky due to repeated low‑level approaches, changing aircraft weight, and challenging environmental conditions. BNPB spokesperson Berton Pantzaitan confirmed that the second crash occurred while the helicopter was “collecting water from the river with the help of a container” and that the aircraft “appears to have lost control during the water‑collection phase.” He added that the last victim was located by a joint rescue team that included four divers after 18:00 local time. Indonesia has been battling extensive forest fires across Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua for months, with the El Niño weather pattern contributing to severe drought conditions. According to the forest‑loss monitoring organization Nusantara Atlas, more than 19 million hectares of forest and peatland have burned in the first nine months of the year. The fires have produced dense smoke plumes that have affected not only Indonesia but also neighboring countries such as Malaysia, East Timor, and Singapore.
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