Eight people killed in Indonesian rescue helicopter crash

Parts of the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in Temanggung on July 2 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

 Hanoi (VNA) – Eight people were killed in a rescue helicopter crash in Central Java province of Indonesia, local officials said on July 3.

The Indonesia-made chopper Dauphin AS365, carrying four navy officers and four rescuers, hit a cliff in Temanggung district on July 2 evening when it was heading to evacuate local people near a recent-erupted volcano at Dieng Plateau.

The accident occurred when the helicopter was only three minutes away from the plateau. 

Sileri Crater volcano suddenly erupted on July 2, spewing cold lava, ash and mud as high as 50 metres, injuring at least 10 visitors.

Soldiers and police were deployed to support locals and ask them to evacuate in case of further eruption.

Sileri Crater is one of the 10 strongest and most dangerous active volcanoes in Dieng Plateau. Its latest eruption was in 2009, unleashing volcanic materials up to 200 metres high and creating three new craters.

Dieng Plateu, located in Central Java province’s Banjarnegara district, is a popular tourist attraction due to its cool climate and ninth-century Hindu temples.-VNA