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Helicopter crash on Indonesia’s Borneo island kills 8

Helicopter crash on Indonesia's Borneo island kills 8 | iNFOnews.ca
In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) on Friday, April 17, 2026, rescuers inspect the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in Sekadau, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. (BASARNAS via AP)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A helicopter flying between palm oil plantations on Borneo Island crashed, killing the eight people on board, Indonesian officials said Friday.

The Airbus H130 owned by PT Matthew Air Nusantara lost contact Thursday, five minutes after it took off from Melawi district in West Kalimantan province. It was on its way to another palm oil plantation in Kubu Raya district.

Searchers later located the wreckage and recovered the bodies of the two crew members and six passengers in the dense forests in Sekadau district, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency and the Transportation Ministry.

One of those killed was Malaysian.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of about 270 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents, including plane and helicopter crashes and ferry sinkings.

Helicopter crash on Indonesia's Borneo island kills 8 | iNFOnews.ca
In this photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), the suspected crash site of a helicopter carrying multiple people is seen from a rescue helicopter in Sekadau, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Thursday, April 16, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)

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The Associated Press

Edna Tarigan

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

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