Jakarta: All eight people aboard a commercial helicopter were confirmed dead on Thursday after the aircraft crashed into a remote, densely forested region of Indonesia's West Kalimantan province, according to the Indonesian National Police and the Xinhua news agency.

The aircraft, identified as a PT Matthew Air Airbus H-130 (PK-CFX), had been reported missing before search teams located the debris in the Sekadau area. Rescue official Lieutenant Colonel Nurrachman Gindha Dradhizya stated that an active recovery mission is currently underway at the site.

"Four bodies have been successfully evacuated and placed in body bags, while three others remain inside the helicopter wreckage," Dradhizya said. Efforts to locate the final victim remain ongoing.

The Search and Recovery Mission

The crash manifest confirmed eight individuals were on board the flight. Debris, believed to be the aircraft's tail section, was first identified at approximately 3:25 p.m. local time on Thursday by an Indonesian Air Force Super Puma helicopter. The wreckage was spotted roughly three kilometres from the aircraft's last known point of contact.

Edy Prakoso, the Deputy for Operations and Preparedness at the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), said that aerial surveillance successfully pinpointed the coordinates, which were then relayed to ground units.

Reaching the site has proven difficult for the joint rescue teams, who must navigate treacherous terrain and volatile weather conditions. Local residents in the Bukit Puntak area informed authorities they had heard an explosion prior to the discovery of the wreckage.

Operations Suspended

Despite the progress made on Thursday, officials were forced to temporarily halt evacuation efforts due to the onset of darkness and the difficult geographical features of the forest.

Operations are scheduled to resume on Friday morning. Dradhizya noted that ground teams would need specialised equipment to access those still trapped in the fuselage. "We will continue tomorrow morning, including efforts to cut through the helicopter wreckage to retrieve the bodies still inside," he stated.

Medical teams and ambulances have been stationed in the nearby village of Hulu Peniti to assist in the recovery and transport of the victims as the mission moves into its final phase.

With inputs from ANI