Indonesian air force plane missing with 18 people on board
2008-10-03 02:08:58

وكالة الأنباء السعودية - واس

Jakarta, June 27, SPA -- A Casa airplane belonging to the Indonesian Air
Force with 18 people on board was missing and presumed crashed in
thick jungle in West Java province, officials said Friday according to DPA.
Air Force spokesman Chaeruddin Ray said three among 18 people on
board the Casa C-212 aircraft were foreigners and their fate remained
unknown.
Officials from Indonesia's national search and rescue agency said
the plane disappeared from radar screens at 3:03 pm on Thursday
around Mount Salak, about 40 kilometres south of Jakarta. They said
dense jungle and mountainous terrain were hampering the search.
Air Force spokesman Ray said the foreigners were from a company
that sold aerial photography equipment and were on a short trial
flight from a Jakarta air base when the plane disappeared.
Rescue teams from Jakarta, with the support of security personnel
and the local villagers, had been combing the foot of Mount Salak
since 6 pm Thursday, but no wreckage has been found. Local police
said residents had heard an explosion.
Indonesia has one of the world's worst aviation safety records
following a string of deadly disasters in recent years. The
archipelago relies heavily on air as well as sea links, DPA reported.
--SPA

المصدر http://www.spa.gov.sa/details.php?id=568855