Indonesia: Military plane crash, many casualties

(Baonghean.vn)- A Hercules C-130 aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force crashed into a residential area in the country's third largest city, Medan, shortly after takeoff.

Officials said a major rescue operation was underway at the scene of the crash. Photo: AFP.

According to The Jakarta Post, witnesses said the plane crashed at around 11:30 a.m. on June 30 (local time) after losing altitude and crashing straight into the ground. There is a possibility that many people were injured in this accident because the plane crashed into a crowded area.

Air force commander Agus Dwi Putranto said on television that there were 12 crew members on board the ill-fated plane, but it was not clear how many passengers were on board.

AP news agency quoted Adam Malik hospital spokeswoman Sairi M. Saragih as saying that up to now, the hospital has received 5 bodies from the accident.

Meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted an official in Indonesia's search and rescue agency, spokesman Hisar Turnip, as saying: "According to the latest information we have received, 30 people have died. This number may increase." There is still no official information on the number of victims on the plane and at the crash scene.

The Hercules C-130 aircraft was en route from an air base in Medan to the Natuna Islands when it crashed just minutes after takeoff.

Thu Giang

(According to AP, Reuters, The Jakarta Post)