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INDONESIAN rescue teams have located the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in the dense forests of Borneo, recovering one body from the scene, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. Seven individuals remain missing.
The aircraft, an Airbus BK117 D-3 operated by Eastindo Air, disappeared on Monday while en route from Kotabaru in South Kalimantan to Palangkaraya City in Central Kalimantan. Contact with air traffic control was lost just eight minutes after departure.
Following an intensive three-day search, rescue personnel reached the crash site in the Mantewe area of Tanahbumbu district. One body was recovered approximately 100 metres from the wreckage.
“The condition of the helicopter is clearly burnt, so it will be necessary to dismantle the aircraft to confirm the number of victims inside,” said Yudhi Bramantyo, operational director of Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). He added that deteriorating weather and nightfall had prevented a full assessment of the site.
Initial observations suggested that additional victims may still be inside the aircraft, but the precise count has not yet been confirmed.
Of the eight people on board, three are foreign nationals: an American, a Brazilian and an Indian. Their identities have not yet been publicly released.
Over 200 personnel from a joint task force—including police, military units, local authorities, volunteers and residents—were deployed to the area, searching a 27-square-kilometre stretch of forest. The operation was supported by five helicopters conducting aerial sweeps, though progress has been repeatedly delayed by adverse weather conditions.
Following the discovery of the wreckage on Wednesday afternoon, ground teams were redirected to the site to support recovery operations.
Efforts are ongoing to retrieve any additional remains and determine the cause of the crash. - Sept 4, 2025