One person is confirmed to have died and seven people remain missing after a helicopter crash on the island of Borneo – three foreign nationals are among the victims
Rescuers are still searching for seven people after a helicopter plummeted to the ground just six minutes after take-off.
One body has been recovered from the site of the crash in Borneo’s tropical forests following a gruelling three-day search for the aircraft, which crashed with eight people on board. The body was located around 100 metres from the helicopter, while initial observations from the rescue team suggested that more victims remain inside the aircraft.
Worsening weather and limited daylight have complicated the search, and it is expected a salvage operation will be needed to get to the victims inside the burnt-out helicopter.
Yudhi Bramantyo, operational director of the Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency, said: “The wreckage was found around 700 metres from the KNKT’s point, and he victim has been body-packed and prepared for evacuation to the field post.
“The condition of the helicopter is clearly burnt, so it will be necessary to dismantle the aircraft to confirm the number of victims inside.”
The Airbus BK117 D-3, owned by Eastindo Air, lost contact with air traffic control eight minutes after departing from the airport in Kotabaru district in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan province on Monday. The aircraft was on its way to Palangkaraya City on the south side of the island.
Three foreign nationals – Mark Werren from the United States, Santa Kumar from India, and Claudine Quito from Brazil – are among the eight people who were on board the helicopter. The rest are believed to be Indonesian.
More than 200 personnel from a joint team, including police, military, local agencies, residents and volunteers, were sent by land and air to comb a 10-square-mile stretch of forest in Mantewe, Tanahbumbu district.
The operation was supported by five helicopters, which took turns sweeping the area, before being hampered by poor weather conditions
After the discovery of the wreckage yesterday afternoon, ground search teams have been redirected to the site to assist with recovery efforts.
Indonesia has been plagued by accidents involving in recent years, including a number plane crashes and ferry sinkings.
Last July, two Australian and three Indonesian nationals miraclously survived after a tourist helicopter crashed in Bali after becoming entangled in a kite string, officials said Friday.
The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter, owned by PT Whitesky Aviation, came down in Pecatu village in the coastal area on the Southern side of Bali, a statement from Indonesia’s transportation ministry said.
Photos circulated by Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency showed the helicopter with five people on board — including the crew and passengers — crashed on a limestone cliff.