The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
South Kalimantan suspends aerial firefighting after helicopter crash
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South Kalimantan suspended aerial firefighting operations after a helicopter crash occurred during water-dropping duties over the Barito River in Barito Kuala regency. The incident took place during ongoing firefighting efforts aimed at combating widespread forest fires amid the region’s intense wildfire season, which has been amplified by El Niño conditions.
According to The Star’s compilation of reporting, the helicopter involved was conducting water-dropping work over the affected area when the crash happened on a Sunday. Officials subsequently confirmed it as the second helicopter crash during Kalimantan’s firefighting operations in the current season. The Star notes the Barito River location within Barito Kuala regency as the site of the crash.
The Aviation Hub identifies the aircraft as a Super Puma H-225 and specifies that the crash occurred during water-dropping duties over the Barito River. This outlet reports that one person died at the scene and two others were injured on-site. The Aviation Hub also states that two Australian crew members were reported as survivors in consolidated reporting cited by the South China Morning Post, and that casualty confirmation occurred at the scene.
The Independent confirms one fatality and two injuries, and reiterates that the crash took place during water-dropping operations as part of Indonesia’s wildfire-season response in South Kalimantan. It 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, as cited by the South China Morning Post and other outlets, adds that two Australian nationals were rescued and treated after surviving the crash. It notes that Indonesian authorities were conducting a wider rescue operation and that a third crew member, identified as an Indonesian national, remained unaccounted for at the time of reporting. The BBC account mentions an 18-member BNPB rescue team being deployed near the Barito River as part of ongoing search-and-rescue efforts.
Across the reports, the broader context highlights Indonesia’s severe wildfire season driven by El Niño, with firefighting operations spanning Borneo and Sumatra. The Sky/SCMP and BBC coverage place the Barito River 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 precise timeline of responses, or whether river-rescue equipment or on-site firefighting assets were deployed beyond noting that survivors were extracted. The available material does not specify the exact agencies or the sequence of responders beyond the mention of an ongoing search-and-rescue effort and the deployment of an 18-member BNPB rescue team near the Barito River.