CHIANG MAI, 19 March 2015 – The Singaporean air force has dispatched two Chinook helicopters to help Thailand combat the haze blanketing the country’s northern region.
The two CH-47 aircraft were dispatched along with 40 personnel and will be working with Thai authorities for two weeks to support anti-forest fire operations in Chiang Mai and other northern provinces. One of the Chinooks will be flying aerial firefighting missions that will involve dropping 5,000 liters of water per trip. The other helicopter will be shuttling firefighters to and from the sites of fire outbreaks. The first mission will be conducted as a response to wildfires that recently erupted to the north of Doi Suthep mountain range in Chiang Mai.
Air Chief Marshal Monthon Sutchukorn, spokesperson of the Royal Thai Air Force, indicated that Singapore’s assistance was in accord with ASEAN’s framework of humanitarian and disaster mitigation assistance.
