Indonesia plane crashes in city, more than 100 dead

MEDAN, Indonesia, Monday (Reuters) A Boeing 737-200 crashed in a residential area of Indonesia's third biggest city just after takeoff on Monday, killing up to 117 people on board as well as bystanders in an inferno on the ground.

The plane, operated by local carrier Mandala Airlines, was carrying 112 passengers and five crew, said Asril Tanjung, the airline's director. The cause of the crash in Medan city was being investigated, but foul play was highly unlikely, he said.

"According to reports I have received, there are no passengers who can be found. I heard no passengers survived but I need to check this myself," Tanjung said.

The plane slammed into the heart of a major residential area in the capital of North Sumatra province, breaking into pieces, setting fire to homes, cars and motorbikes, and sparking widespread panic, witnesses said. Hospital officials said some of the dead were bystanders.

"I arrived around 10 minutes after the accident. Burning bodies were everywhere," one local reporter said from the scene.

"Around 10 houses were burned, along with five to six minibuses. The plane was torn into pieces, we could only see the tail." Survivors on the ground ran about frantically screaming the names of their relatives, added the reporter.

Edi Sofyan, a spokesman for the North Sumatra government, said the governor of the province was on board the flight.Fierce flames licked at the wreckage as it lay on one of Medan's main roads before fire crews were able to extinguish the blazes. Plumes of thick black smoke rose into the air.

Roni, an emergency room nurse at Medan's Adam Malik hospital, said it was chaos as victims were brought in. Other hospital officials said most were burnt beyond recognition.

"Ambulances keep going back and forth bringing the victims, who are both passengers and residents. Some are still alive, some are dead," Roni told Reuters.