Eight killed in helicopter crash in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan

All eight people on board a helicopter were killed after it crashed in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, authorities confirmed to local media on Friday.

The aircraft, an Airbus H130 operated by a local aviation company, lost contact just five minutes after taking off on Thursday morning from a plantation area in Melawi district on Borneo Island.

Authorities said the helicopter was travelling between palm oil plantations when it went down.

Bodies recovered in remote area

Search teams later located the wreckage in a remote, forested area in Sekadau district. Rescue workers recovered the bodies of all eight victims — two crew members and six passengers. One of those killed was a Malaysian national.

Officials said the crash site was difficult to access due to dense forest and steep, hilly terrain, which slowed down search efforts.

Debris believed to be part of the helicopter’s tail was found a few kilometres from the last known contact point.

Authorities have begun an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.