An Indonesian Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed today into a residential
neighborhood in Medan, the country’s third largest city, killing dozens
of people, authorities said.
The plane crashed into houses and buildings, including a hotel, located
near the Soewondo Air Force Base, where the plane took off. Officials
with Adam Malik Hospital told the news site detik.com that the hospital has received 36 bodies, with three victims saved.
None of the bodies has been identified and it's unclear how many of the
victims are military personnel and how many are civilians, North Sumatra
police chief Eko Hadi Sutedjo said. The plane was carrying 50 people
based on its manifest, he said.
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.
"The plane crashed while it was turning right to return to the airport," Supriatna said.
Witnesses reported an explosion come from above the hotel, as well as a
crash. Heavy smoke and fire could be seen in the area following the
crash, as hundreds of people milled about nearby.
The C-130 Hercules was built in 1964.
The tragedy marks the second plane crash in a residential section of Medan in recent years.
Mandala Airlines Flight 091 – a Boeing 737 – crashed in a crowded
residential area in Medan on Sept. 5, 2005 after taking off from Polonia
International Airport, killing 100 people on board and another 49
people on the ground.
Medan, with about 3.4 million people, is the third most populous city in Indonesia after the capital, Jakarta, and Surabaya.
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