Jakarta, Sept. 10 -- The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said Japanese air support that arrived on Thursday had immediately conducted test flights to strengthen efforts to extinguish forest and land fires in several areas.

The aid was transported aboard the JS Kunisaki, docked at Kijing Port, Mempawah District, West Kalimantan.

"The JS Kunisaki is carrying three Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and 180 to 300 personnel. Test flights are currently underway at Supadio Airport, Pontianak," BNPB Acting Head of Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Berton SP Panjaitan, informed on Thursday.

According to him, the Japanese team's water bombing aerial firefighting operations are scheduled to begin on September 11-12, 2...