Crew member missing as Indonesian water-bombing helicopter crashes
An Indonesian firefighting helicopter crashed into a river while performing water-bombing operations, leaving one crew member missing and two rescued. This incident follows another fatal helicopter crash in the region just days prior, highlighting the dangers of ongoing wildfire suppression efforts.
Why it matters
The recurring accidents underscore the high risks faced by emergency responders battling severe wildfires in Southeast Asia.
Jakarta, Indonesia A helicopter battling Indonesian wildfires crashed into a river on Sunday as it scooped water, an official told AFP, with two crew members rescued and one still missing. The crash in Borneo Island's South Kalimantan province was the second in days involving a firefighting helicopter, after a military chopper plunged into the waters off Borneo on Wednesday (November 4, 2026), killing three people. Two Australian nationals had survived Sunday's (November 8, 2026) incident and were "safe", said Berton Panjaitan, a spokesman for the national disaster mitigation agency, while the third member of the crew, an Indonesian, remained unaccounted for. Dramatic video footage showed the firefighting helicopter being slowly dragged downward after filling its bucket from the Barito River, eventually plunging nose-first into the water.
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