Firefighting helicopter crashes into Barito River

A Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma helicopter crashed into the waters of the Barito River near Tabatan Village, Kuripan District, Indonesia on Sunday.

The incident occurred while the helicopter was conducting a water-bombing operation to fight forest and land fires. Amateur video footage showed the helicopter losing control while maneuvering after collecting water from the river using a Bambi bucket. The helicopter, registered as VH-HGM, was carrying three crew members, all of whom have been confirmed safe.

The aircraft is privately owned and contracted by Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to support firefighting operations. It has previously been deployed for various disaster response missions, with flight routes including Banjarmasin, Pontianak, and Surabaya.