An Indonesia plane crash in Medan, the country’s third-largest city, killed more than 70 people on Tuesday when the aircraft collapsed mere minutes after the flight began.
The C-130 Hercules military transport plane, which had been in service ever since 1964, may have been carrying more than 100 people, although the exact numbers
remain unclear, according to The Associated Press. Air force spokesman Rear Marshal Dwi Badarmanto revealed that 74 bodies have been recovered, 30 of which have been identified, including air force personnel and their families.
The plane smashed into houses and buildings, including one hotel, in Medan just outside the Soewando Air Force Base from which it
originally took off, according to ABC News. Air force chief marshal Agus Supriatna said that the plane’s pilot had informed the control tower minutes into the flight that he needed to turn the plane around and return to base because of engine trouble.
“The plane crashed while it was turning right to return to the airport,” Supriatna told ABC News.
Local TV broadcasts of the plane crash show smoke rising from the buildings near the residential neighborhood where the plane fell as crowds gathered
around the wreckage, according to CNN. The plane directly hit a busy road that connects Medan with Brastagi, a tourist resort.
This disaster marks the second time in 10 years that an airplane has smashed into a residential neighborhood in Medan, according to the AP. A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737 crashed into one neighborhood in 2005, killing 143 people, including 30 bystanders on the ground. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said in the wake of this most recent crash that the government will reevaluate their aging air force planes and other military equipment.
This tragedy also signifies the second major plane crash that Indonesia has seen within the past seven months, according to ABC News. In December, 162 people were killed when the commercial flight AirAsia crashed into the Java Sea.