Two Australians survive helicopter crash while fighting Borneo fires
A water-bombing helicopter crashed into a river in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Two Australian crew members survived.
Indonesia is fighting its worst forest fires in more than a decade. A water-bombing helicopter crashed into a river while collecting water.
Two Australian crew members survived and are receiving medical attention. One Indonesian crew member is missing.
Video shows local residents pulling the wreckage from the river in South Kalimantan province. This is the second helicopter crash in one week.
Three Indonesian crew members died in a separate water-bombing crash earlier this week. Indonesia's fire crisis has burned more than 1.9 million hectares.
More than 100,000 workers are fighting the fires across the country.
- 1.9 million hectares
- Area burned
- 100,000+ workers
- Firefighting workforce
- 2 in one week
- Crashes in period
- 3 Indonesian crew
- Deaths in first crash
Why it mattersAustralians are working in dangerous international firefighting operations. Indonesia's fire season shows how severe the environmental crisis has become.
AustraliaAustralian workers are deployed in risky fire-fighting roles abroad. The scale of Indonesia's fire emergency affects the region and air quality across Southeast Asia.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 9 h ago
