Second helicopter crash during Kalimantan firefighting operation kills one

A firefighting helicopter crashed into the Barito River in Barito Kuala regency, South Kalimantan, during water-dropping operations intended to combat widespread forest fires, according to reports compiled from The Star and corroborating outlets. The incident occurred on a Sunday while the helicopter was actively engaged in firefighting activity over the affected area, with officials later confirming it as the second such helicopter crash during Kalimantan firefighting operations.

The Aviation Hub specifies the aircraft involved as a Super Puma H-225, describing the crash as having occurred during water-dropping duties over the Barito River. The outlet notes that one person died at the scene and two others were injured on-site, with two Australian crew members reported as survivors by consolidated reporting cited by the South China Morning Post. The Aviation Hub also states that casualty confirmation occurred at the scene.

The Independent aggregates the death and injury figures, corroborating one fatality and two injuries, and reiterates that the incident took place during water-dropping operations as part of Indonesia’s wildfire-season response in South Kalimantan. It also mirrors The Aviation Hub’s designation of the helicopter as a Super Puma H-225 and notes that two other occupants were found safe.

BBC reporting cited by South China Morning Post and other coverage adds that two Australian nationals were rescued and treated after surviving the crash in South Kalimantan. It mentions Indonesian authorities conducting a wider rescue operation and notes that a third crew member, identified as an Indonesian national, remained unaccounted for at the time of reporting. An 18-member BNPB rescue team was deployed near the Barito River as part of ongoing search-and-rescue efforts.

Across the reports, the broader context frames the incident within Indonesia’s severe wildfire season, driven by El Niño conditions, with firefighting operations spanning Borneo and Sumatra. The Sky/SCMP and BBC coverage place the crash within the larger firefighting campaign addressing widespread fires during the season, while The Aviation Hub emphasizes the specific event over the Barito River during water-dropping duties.

On the emergency-response side, the material provides limited detail about which agencies arrived first, the exact timeline of responses, or whether river-rescue equipment or on-site firefighting assets were deployed beyond noting that survivors were extracted and received medical attention. The Aviation Hub notes casualty confirmation occurred on the scene but offers no further specifics about responders or on-site actions.

Technical details beyond the H-225 designation remain unclear in the supplied material. The Star notes only that the helicopter was involved in firefighting activity when it crashed into the Barito River, and The Aviation Hub cites the H-225 model without additional capacity or operator information. The Independent similarly does not specify the operator, registration, or other technical characteristics beyond the H-225 reference.

Consolidated reporting from South China Morning Post, BBC, and ABC News & Headlines confirms that two Australian crew members survived, while BBC reports that one Indonesian national on board remained unaccounted for at the time of reporting. The available material does not establish the aircraft’s operator or country of registration, nor does it provide a verified time or exact coordinates for the crash, or a complete list of passengers and crew beyond the identified survivors and the missing third member.

Taken together, the reports describe the incident as the second helicopter crash linked to Kalimantan firefighting operations during Indonesia’s wildfire season, with survivors among the Australian crew and a missing Indonesian crew member being sought as part of ongoing search-and-rescue efforts near the Barito River. The broader firefighting campaign is contextualized as part of the regional response to severe fires contributing to the fire season driven by El Niño, though the material does not offer a unified, verifiable sequence of events or a definitive cause.