Plane Crash in Indonesia Leaves at Least 116 Dead

The crash of an Indonesian military cargo plane in a residential area of one of the country's major cities has left at least 116 dead, with casualty numbers still rising. The C-130 aircraft belonging to the Indonesian Air Force crashed at 12:08 PM local time on Tuesday, July 9, just two minutes after taking off from the runway of the 'Suwondo' military airport and only five kilometers away from the airport. The Hercules crash in 'Medan', the third largest city in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra, caused severe destruction to residential buildings in the area and damaged many cars. 'Novi', an employee of one of the offices located in one of the buildings at the site, told AFP that he saw the plane flying at a low altitude and crashing into the buildings from behind a window, and he and other employees fled. 'Khanavar', a 26-year-old witness, also told AFP that from the same building near the airport, he felt that the Hercules had a technical malfunction. According to an announcement from the Indonesian military, the plane was carrying 12 crew members; it is unclear how many of the counted dead were on the ground and whether the count includes the deceased crew members. The Associated Press reported the number of crew members as 17. According to the Associated Press, General Agus Subiyanto, the commander of the Indonesian Air Force, confirmed that the pilot requested to return immediately after takeoff in contact with the control tower and reported a 'problem' with the engine, and shortly after taking off to the right to return, the crash occurred. The crash site is in Medan. Ten years ago, the Indonesian city of 'Medan' also witnessed a deadly plane crash; in that incident, a plane that had just taken off from the airport runway in one of the city's densely populated suburbs killed at least 150 passengers, crew members, and residents of the houses. 'Medan' is considered the largest city outside of 'Java' and the commercial center of Indonesia. AFP estimates the city's population at two million, while the Associated Press cites a figure of three million four hundred thousand for the city's population. In 2012, a military aircraft of this country, a 'Fokker 27', also crashed in a residential area in Jakarta, the capital, leaving 11 dead. Just two months ago, an Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighter jet caught fire shortly after taking off from the military airport in the capital, with the pilot ejecting himself from the burning aircraft with a parachute, although he was injured. Indonesia's passenger fleet also has a poor history of plane crashes. Shortly before last Christmas, an AirAsia passenger plane on its way from 'Surabaya' in Indonesia to Singapore crashed, leaving 162 dead.