A firefighting helicopter tasked with dousing Indonesian wildfires suffered a catastrophic crash in South Kalimantan province on Sunday, plunging nose-first into the Barito River. While amateur footage captured the harrowing moment the aircraft lost control during a water-scooping maneuver, authorities were able to rescue two Australian crew members who are reported to be safe. Unfortunately, a third crew member of Indonesian nationality remains missing as search and rescue teams continue their efforts.

This tragedy marks the second time in less than a week that an aviation crew has gone down while battling the nation's severe blazes, which have been exacerbated by a powerful El Nino weather cycle. The region has spent months struggling to contain massive fires across Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua, leading to widespread environmental damage and regional smog. Officials confirmed that the crashed Eurocopter EC225LP was one of many contracted aircraft currently supporting ground crews in their ongoing fight to control the fires that have already claimed over 1.9 million hectares of land.