A HELICOPTER plunged into dense jungle just minutes after take-off killing eight people on board.
The aircraft vanished from the radar five minutes into its journey over Borneo’s vast palm oil plantations on Thursday.
It had departed from Melawi district in West Kalimantan province and was heading for another remote plantation in Kubu Raya when disaster struck.
Search teams later made the grim discovery deep in thick forest in Sekadau district, where the wreckage was found smashed among the trees.
All eight victims – including two crew members and six passengers – were recovered from the crash site, officials from the National Search and Rescue Agency and the Transportation Ministry confirmed.
Among the dead was a Malaysian national.
The Airbus H130 was being operated by its owner PT Matthew Air Nusantara.
The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago home to around 270 million people.
It has long been dogged by deadly transport disasters.
Plane crashes, helicopter accidents and ferry sinking are tragically all too common.
It comes as terror once again gripped Indonesia’s skies after another aircraft suddenly vanished – moments after locals reported hearing a chilling explosion.
The ATR 42-500 lost contact with air traffic control shortly after take-off, disappearing from radar just 12 miles into its flight over South Sulawesi.
The plane had departed from Yogyakarta in January and was en route to Makassar when it seemingly vanished into thin air.
Flight tracking data captured the eerie moment the aircraft dropped off systems – sparking immediate fears of disaster.
Terrified locals in the area reported hearing a strange noise “like burning material” – before a loud explosion ripped through the sky.
The missing aircraft is believed to have been carrying 11 people – including three passengers and eight crew members – when it lost contact.
A major search and rescue operation was launched, with teams racing against time to locate the wreckage and any possible survivors.
Officials deployed at least three search teams, with around 60 personnel combing the rugged terrain.
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