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Helicopter Crashes Into River During Water‑Bombing Mission, One Crew Member Missing

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Helicopter Crashes Into River During Water‑Bombing Mission, One Crew Member Missing
Photo: Firefighters of the Manggala Agni, Indonesia's national fire control brigade spray water to a wildfire. File | Photo Credit: Reuters

A firefighting helicopter crashed into a river on Sunday while scooping water, an official told AFP. Two crew members were rescued and one remains missing. The incident occurred in South Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, the second firefighting helicopter crash in days. The earlier crash on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) killed three people. Berton Panjaitan, spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency, said two Australian nationals survived the Sunday incident and were safe, while an Indonesian crew member was unaccounted for. Video footage showed the Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma being dragged downward after filling its bucket from the Barito River, then plunging nose‑first into the water. The helicopter belonged to a company contracted by the agency for water‑bombing operations. The Wednesday crash involved a helicopter carrying eight people during a mission to fight fires in Tanjung Puting National Park; the aircraft was scooping seawater for bombing. An army statement said the cause was under investigation. Indonesia has relied heavily on air operations to fight fires that have destroyed more than 1.9 million hectares, according to deforestation monitor Nusantara Atlas. The fires are driven in part by a strong El Nino weather phenomenon, which typically causes drought in Indonesia. Published – November 08, 2026 03:23 pm IST

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