Indonesian military plane crashes into residential area, killing over 100 people

The C-130 Hercules aircraft went down with 12 people on board in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, said Indonesian military spokesman Maj. There were no survivors.

So far, 49 bodies had been recovered and taken to hospital, he said. Some of the passengers were the relatives of military personnel, he said, according to the AP. As was the case then, the crash is likely to raise questions about the aging plane’s record and the air force’s underfunded capabilities more generally.

The crash occurred in a newly built residential area, AFP reported, adding that authorities said it was unclear if anyone was in the buildings at the time.

“It was very scary”, said Novi, an employee of an global school, describing how she heard the plane and saw it flying very low before the crash.

Local television showed a neighborhood of houses and hotels in flames and black smoke billowing from the area.

Medan’s police chief said the bodies had been “crushed” under the wreckage of the aircraft and buildings.

“We just want to know their fate”, he told MetroTV, weeping.

“The latest information we have is that 30 have died…”

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said the government would audit military equipment to ensure safety. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments — either by the same reader or different readers.

Our correspondent said that two minutes into the flight, the pilot radioed in, saying there was a “technical issue” with the plane.

Air force chief, Air Marshall Agus Supriatna, said the pilot told the control tower that the plane needed to turn back because of engine trouble.

But he added the aircraft was in “very good condition” and had made several stops before arriving in Medan.

Rescuers search for victims at the site where an air force cargo plane crashed in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 30, 2015.

It was the second time in a decade that Medan had suffered a fatal plane accident.

In 2005, a Boeing 737 also crashed in a busy residential area, killing a total of 143 people.

Indonesia has a patchy civil aviation safety record and its cash-strapped air force has also suffered a string of accidents.

It is believed that a number of people are still trapped in the buildings that were hit by the plane, although this is yet to be confirmed. Just two minutes after the plane took off, it crashed into a hotel in a crowded area three miles from the base.