Eight people were confirmed dead after a helicopter crashed in a remote forested area of West Kalimantan, authorities said, as search and rescue teams battled difficult terrain to reach the site and recover bodies and wreckage.

According to Indonesia’s rescue agency, the Airbus H130 lost contact on Thursday morning, just five minutes after taking off from a plantation site in Melawi. The aircraft was operated by Matthew Air Nusantara.

Head of the rescue agency, Mohammad Syafii, said the helicopter went missing in a densely forested area characterised by steep and hilly terrain, significantly complicating rescue operations.

“The location of the crash or loss of contact is in a densely forested area with steep hilly terrain,” Syafii said, noting that debris believed to be part of the helicopter’s tail had been discovered about three kilometres from the last known contact point.

Authorities confirmed that all eight occupants onboard six passengers and two crew members were killed in the crash. The identities of the victims had yet to be formally released.

Rescue teams, comprising military personnel, police officers, and emergency responders, were forced to rely on land access routes to approach the crash site, slowing recovery efforts due to the difficult landscape and limited accessibility.

The helicopter had departed from a plantation owned by Citra Mahkota, although officials did not immediately disclose the purpose of the flight.

The cause of the crash remains unknown, with authorities expected to launch a full investigation once access to the wreckage is secured.

Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, depends heavily on air transport to connect remote regions. However, the country has faced persistent aviation safety challenges, with several fatal incidents recorded in recent years.

In January, a turboprop aircraft chartered by the fisheries ministry crashed into a mountain in Sulawesi, killing all 10 people onboard. In another incident in September last year, a helicopter crash in South Kalimantan claimed eight lives, while a separate crash in Ilaga shortly after left four people dead. (Arise News)

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