An Indonesian military transport plane has crashed into a residential area in Sumatra, killing dozens of people according to reports.
There was carnage as houses and a hotel were set on fire. Many of the casualties were on the ground.
The military say 12 people were on board the C-130 Hercules plane, which came down on the Sumatran city of Medan.
Reports by late afternoon local time said 38 people had died.
#BREAKING #IndonesianAirForce #C130 reg no. #A1310 crashed departing Medan Polonia otw Tanjung Pinang. pic.twitter.com/Yh0dB3HWV1— Gerry Soejatman (@GerryS) 30 Juin 2015
The aircraft was on its way from an air force base in Medan to the remote Natuna islands and crashed a few minutes after takeoff, according to military spokesman Fuad Basya.
Local media reports said the pilot had asked to return because of technical problems.
The plane that crashed was over 50 years old, according to the military.
The crash has highlighted Indonesia’s poor aviation safety recor
