MMEA Bombardier Aircraft Begins Fire Fighting Operations In South Sumatra

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Oct 12 (Bernama) -- A Bombardier CL 415 MP aircraft belonging to the Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) has started firefighting operations by using a technique called 'water scooping' and 'water bombing' in South Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday. MMEA Deputy director-general (Operations), Rear Admiral (Maritime) Che Hassan Jusoh, said the aircraft had carried out water scooping 10 times and water bombing 10 times within four hours of assignment on the first day. In a statement Sunday evening, he said, the suction of water with a capacity of 6,137 litres in 12 seconds was carried out at Sg Lumpur located in the southeast region, 70 miles from Palembang. "The time it takes to carry out one session of water suction and to reach the area of fire only took seven minutes. The operation involves a pilot (Lt Cdr Maritime Azizan Buang), a co-pilot and a crew member," he said. Che Hassan said this first operation will be continued Monday and is expected to last five days. On Friday, besides the bombardier aircraft, MMEA also sent a helicopter AS 365 N3 Douphin with 29 MMEA officers to help fight the fires which has been causing the prolonged haze that is sweeping across neighbouring countries over the past two months. -- BERNAMA