Army Chopper Crashed Due to Power Loss

Jakarta (Antara) - TNI spokesman Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said a power loss may have caused the crash of an army helicopter in Malinau, North Kalimantan, at around 11 am on Saturday. He noted that the initial investigation had revealed the Russian-made chopper lost power on the way to its destination. "While it was flying, it suddenly lost installed power, began losing height and caught fire," he stated. Sitompul said the Mi-17 helicopter was only two to three years old. Head of the Nunukan district chapter of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Octavianto said there were some soldiers among the dead. He said the victims were still being evacuated. (*)