Eight people, including two crew members, have been confirmed dead after a helicopter crash in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, following a loss of contact with air traffic authorities on Thursday morning, April 16.
Local police confirmed that all eight individuals on board the aircraft were found deceased after an extensive search operation. Sekadau police Criminal Investigation Unit chief Zainal Abidin said the victims were located during the search efforts and confirmed no survivors.
The search and rescue operation was completed on Friday morning, with authorities transporting all recovered bodies to Pontianak for further procedures, according to Sekadau police spokesperson Triyono.
The helicopter, operated by local company Matthew Air Nusantara, departed from West Kalimantan on Borneo island at 8.34am on Thursday, en route to another destination within the same province. Contact with the aircraft was lost approximately five minutes after take-off, according to Indonesia’s search and rescue agency.
Officials from the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) said debris believed to be from the helicopter was later found in a dense, rugged forest area. Basarnas chief Mohammad Syafii stated that fragments, including what appeared to be part of the tail section, were discovered around three kilometres from the last known contact point.
Initial aerial and ground searches involved around 20 rescuers, with support from an Indonesian Air Force helicopter deployed to assist in locating the wreckage.
Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, relies heavily on air transport, but has faced longstanding concerns over aviation safety. The country has recorded several fatal air incidents in recent years, including a fatal turboprop crash in Sulawesi earlier this year and other helicopter-related accidents in South Kalimantan and Papua.
