TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Army (TNI) has set up an investigation team to delve into the cause of an army helicopter crashing on Friday in Sleman District, Yogyakarta.
"The investigation team was sent to Yogyakarta on Friday night to investigate the cause of an army helicopter, bearing registration number HA-5073, crashing in the afternoon," Army Information Chief Brig.Gen Muhammad Sabrar Fadhila informed.
He noted that the Army has evacuated the dead bodies and those injured.
In the meantime, the commander of the Adisucipto air base in Yogyakarta, Commodore Iman Baidirus, confirmed that three people were killed in the crash.
"Three people died in the incident while another is in a critical condition. Two others were wounded. All of them were the helicopter's passengers," he stated, speaking at the scene of the crash in the Kowang hamlet, Tamanmartani, in the sub-district of Kalasan.
He disclosed that the victims were taken to the Bhayangkara Police Hospital, the Harjo Lukito Air Force Hospital in Yogyakarta and the Panti Rini Hospital in Kalasan.
The helicopter was on a patrol sortie ahead of President Joko Widodo's visit to Yogyakarta, he added.
President Joko Widodo is scheduled to visit Ledoksari hamlet in Bokoharjo village, Prambanan, on Saturday, located not far away from the site of the crash, Baidirus noted.
He explained that the chopper had set off from Solo, Central Java, and was patrolling over the site where the President is to visit.
"Fifteen minutes after it took off from Solo, we lost contact with it. We tried to re-establish contact but failed," he continued.
ANTARA
