Helicopter crashed three minutes before arriving at Dieng Plateau, the popular tourist area where the eruption on Sunday injured at least 10

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A rescue helicopter crashed while heading to help evacuate residents near an active volcano on Indonesia’s main island, killing all eight people on board, officials said on Monday. The helicopter had four navy officers and four rescuers on board and reportedly crashed into a cliff about three minutes before arriving at Dieng Plateau, where one of the volcanic craters erupted Sunday. The helicopter from the National Search and Rescue Agency was carrying four crewmen and four rescuers when it crashed near Candiroto village in Central Java province's Temanggung district, Heronimus Guru, the agency's deputy operations chief, told KompasTV. A Dauphin helicopter belonging to the Central Java chapter of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) crashed in Temanggung while on its way to help evacuation efforts in Dieng after the eruption of Sileri Crater earlier. The Sileri Crater at Dieng Plateau spewed cold lava, mud and ash as high as 50 meters (164 feet) into the sky when it erupted Sunday morning, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. Soldiers and police officers were dispatched to the scene, while local residents and visitors were asked to evacuate the area in case of further eruptions, Nugroho said. Sileri is the most active and dangerous among some 10 craters at Dieng Plateau. Its most recent eruption was in 2009, when it unleashed volcanic materials up to 200 meters (656 feet) high and triggered the creation of three new craters. READ MORE: Fate unclear of tourists who declined to leave slopes of erupting Indonesian volcano

Dieng Plateau, located in the Central Java district of Banjarnegara, is a popular tourist attraction because of its cool climate and ninth-century Hindu temples.
A rescue helicopter crashes while attempting to evacuate residents near the Dieng Volcanic Complex in Central Java, Indonesia, killing all eight people on board.