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An Indonesian jetliner with 117 people aboard crashed into a residential neighborhood in the city of Medan shortly after takeoff Monday, killing everyone on board, officials said.
Smoke billowed from the burning debris and dozens of houses and at least 10 cars were in flames or damaged. Hundreds of policemen, paramedics and residents were trying to evacuate victims.
Syahrial Anas, a doctor overseeing the removal of charred bodies, said at least 60 people were killed. Officials said one of the dead included the governor of North Sumatra province, who was heading to the capital for a meeting with the president.
"We're having a hard time getting to the bodies, because of the heat," Anas told The Associated Press.
The Boeing 737 operated by Mandala Airlines was heading to Jakarta when it crashed one minute after takeoff, Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa said.
The plane was carrying at least 117 passengers and crew, said the airline's acting president, Maj. Gen. Hasril Hamzah Tanjung. He said it was too early to release casualty figures.
The international airport in Medan, the largest city on Sumatra island, is close to the center of town and is surrounded by densely populated residential areas. Medan, the country's third largest city, has been a major staging point for tsunami relief operations in Aceh province, which occupies the northern tip of Sumatran island.
Mandala Airlines is a Jakarta-based domestic carrier founded in 1969 by a military-run foundation. Its 15-plane fleet consists mainly of 1970s-vintage Boeing 737-200 jets. In recent years, the financially troubled airline has been forced to cut services and fares to remain competitive.
Tanjung said an investigation was being carried out into the cause of the crash.
The plane was nearly 25 years old, he said, and received its last comprehensive service in June. It had flown more than 50,000 hours and was due to be retired in 2016.
Indonesia's last crash involving a jetliner occurred in February 2005, when 26 people were killed when a plane operated by Lion Air, a low-cost carrier, skidded off the runway on Java Island, killing 26 people.
(China Daily September 5, 2005)
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