Indonesia: Military plane crashes, multiple casualties.

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

Officials said a major rescue operation was underway at the scene of the accident. 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 plunging straight to the ground. It is likely that there were many casualties in this accident because the plane crashed into a crowded area.

Air Force Commander Agus Dwi Putranto stated on television that there were 12 crew members on board the ill-fated aircraft, but the exact number of passengers on board had not yet been determined.

The Associated Press quoted hospital spokesperson Sairi M. Saragih of Adam Malik Hospital as saying that the hospital had so far received five bodies from the accident.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Hisar Turnip, a spokesperson for Indonesia's search and rescue agency, as saying: "According to the latest information we have received, 30 people have died. This number could rise." There is still no official information on the number of victims on board the plane or at the crash site.

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)