Daegu: A firefighting helicopter crashed on Sunday while combating a wildfire in the southeastern city of Daegu, resulting in the death of the pilot, the fire service reported. The aircraft went down on a mountain in a northwestern district of Daegu, approximately 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 3:41 p.m., as stated by firefighting authorities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the helicopter had been dispatched to assist in extinguishing a fire in the Seobyeon-dong area, which had ignited earlier that afternoon. The aircraft crashed about 100 meters away from the wildfire site, as indicated by fire service reports.
The helicopter involved in the incident was identified as a 44-year-old Bell 206L model, confirmed by the Daegu Dong-gu Office. Authorities, including law enforcement, are set to investigate the precise cause of the crash. This will involve questioning witnesses once the site has been secured and the recovery operation has concluded.
The incident occurred only days after another firefighting helicopter, also carrying one pilot, crashed while battling a significant wildfire in Uiseong County, located in the southeastern region. That crash on March 26 resulted in the death of the pilot as well.