At least 30 killed as Hercules plane crashes in Indonesia
Massive military transport aircraft goes down in a residential area in Sumatra
At least thirty people were killed after an Indonesian military transport plane crashed Tuesday shortly after take-off in a city on Sumatra island, exploding in a ball of flames in a residential area.
Police placed the death toll at thirty, but warned that more casualties could become apparent as investigators begin to scour the rubble of a Hercules plane that went down in the city of Medan, crashing into a hotel and houses.
“The latest information we have is that 30 have died… The number could go up,” said Hisar Turnip, a spokesman for Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, according to Reuters.
Dramatic pictures on social media showed large crowds and emergency services gathering around the flaming wreckage, with the fuselage of the aircraft visible among thick plumes of black smoke. Buildings in the vicinity of the crash zone were also clearly damaged.
“I saw the plane from the direction of the airport and it was tilting already, then I saw smoke billowing,” local resident Januar, 26, told AFP, only giving his first name.
He said the plane crashed into a newly built residential area, although it was unclear whether it was occupied yet. Police had cordoned off the area.
“A Hercules was… transporting military logistics from Medan,” military spokesman Fuad Basya told AFP.
The plane took off 12:08 pm (0508 GMT) from an air force base and crashed in the city about two minutes later about five kilometers (three miles) from the base, he said.
Asked about potential casualties, Basya said, “We don’t know for sure but inside there will be the plane crew, pilot, but I don’t know how many.”
“It crashed near a residential area and caught fire,” search and rescue agency official Tatang Zainuddin told AFP.
“We have asked our search and rescue office in Medan to immediately go to the site for evacuation of any victims.”
