At least 69 dead after Indonesian plane crashes

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) " An Indonesian military plane carrying more than 100 people crashed into several homes and burst into flames today, killing at least 69 people, officials said.

Dozens of people were injured and more were feared dead, with local television flashing footage of fire engulfing the mangled wreckage and soldiers carrying bodies on stretchers. Some were badly burned.

Air force spokesman Bambang Sulistyo said the C-130 Hercules, carrying 112 passengers and crew, was on a routine training mission when it crashed near an air force base in East Java province. It smashed into four houses in Geplak village, before skidding into a rice field.

It was not clear what caused the crash, the latest in a string to hit the air force.

Several witnesses said the plane split apart in the air following a loud explosion.

"One of the wings fell off," Agus Yulianto, a villager, was quoted as saying on the Web site of Kompas newspaper. "Then the plane nose-dived into the houses."

The death toll stood at 69, said Suyono, a spokesman at the air force base, adding that he expected the number to climb.

Huge plumes of black smoke billowed from the scene and bystanders were seen throwing buckets of water and sand at the flames. Ambulances were shuttling victims to a nearby hospital.