A helicopter belonging to the Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department crash-landed while on a training flight in the central province of Nakhon Sawan this afternoon (Wednesday).

The pilot, a co-pilot and a mechanic escaped with only minor injuries after the chopper crashed into an empty field and caught fire.  Rescuers managed to extinguish the fire.

Department officials said that the chopper developed engine trouble while it was on a training flight, but the pilot managed to crash-land. They said that a leak from the fuel tank ignited, partially damaging the chopper, but the fire was quickly brought under control.

The Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department has deployed several aircraft in carrying out cloud-seeding operations to ease the smog problem in and around Bangkok, complementing the efforts of other agencies fighting PM2.5 dust particles, including road cleanups, water sprinkling using water cannons and water spraying using planes and drones.

The Metropolitan Police and the private sector have agreed to install water cannons at 12 bridges across the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok to spray water into the air to ease the smog problem.

Metropolitan police commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Sutthipong Wongpin said that the water cannons could reduce PM2.5 dust particles by about 20 percent.

He assured that the very fine water particles would not have any impact on vehicles using the bridges.

The bridges on which water cannons will be installed include Rama VI, Krung Thon, Rama III, Rama VIII, Pin Klao, Memorial, King Mongkut, Taksin, Krung Thep, Rama IX and Bhumibol.