Close call: Rescuers inspecting the wreckage of the helicopter after it crashed in Bali. — AP
TWO Australian and three Indonesian nationals survived after a tourist helicopter crashed in Bali due to being entangled in a kite string, officials said.
The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter, owned by PT Whitesky Aviation, came down in Pecatu village in the coastal area on the southern side of Bali, a statement from Indonesia’s transportation ministry said.
Photos circulated by Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency showed the helicopter with five people on board – including the crew and passengers – crashed on a limestone cliff.
“All victims could be evacuated safely,” said a written statement from the agency in Bali on Friday.
Three of them were taken to a hospital for further treatment.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago nation of about 270 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, including plane crashes and ferry sinkings.
Authorities said a team was sent to the crash site for further investigation. — AP
