All 113 military family members aboard a military
transport plane died when it crashed into a residential area (Sumatra city of Medan) shortly after take-off
in northern Indonesia on Tuesday, but the toll looked set to rise after
it emerged that more than people had been on ground and in homes when it crashed into the residential area. In the words of Air Marshal Agus Supriatna, "It
looks like there are no survivors,
The
crash of the C-130B Hercules aircraft, which went into service half a
century ago, is bound to put a fresh spotlight on Indonesia's woeful air
safety record and its aging planes.
Though President Joko Widodo, who took office last year, has said he plans to double military spending to $15 billion by 2020, today's crash seems not to reflect this promise.