Bad weather halts chopper salvage

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Rescue workers found on Thursday the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed off the coast on Saturday.

Bad weather made any attempt to salvage the wreckage impossible.

The head of Sepinggan Airport, Kuntadi Budianto, told Antara the joint rescue team from the East Kalimantan coast guard and Air Force, mobile brigade unit and Bontang subdistrict administration would have to wait for tides and strong winds to abate before starting their work.

Kuntadi said the bodies of six passengers listed as missing could be trapped inside the Bell helicopter.

He said the rescue team would use a number of ships to raise the chopper, which is 70 meters under the sea.

The helicopter, chartered by Unocal oil company, crashed after its rotor malfunctioned. It was flying from Tanjungsantan subdistrict, north of here, to Balikpapan.

Five passengers were rescued, but pilot Prabowo Yuwono died in the accident. (amd)