34 Killed in Crash of Indonesian Airliner
A passenger jet of the Indonesian airline Garuda crashed Saturday during a rainstorm while trying to land in Medan, on the island of Sumatra, killing at least 34 people aboard, officials said.
Witnesses said the DC-9 jetliner, with 37 passengers and eight crew members aboard, struck high-voltage electric lines near the runway at Medan’s Polonia International Airport, tumbled to the ground and exploded. One report said the airliner may have been hit by lightning just before the crash.
The flight originated in Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra. It was scheduled to stop in Medan, about 850 miles northwest of Jakarta, before continuing on to the Indonesian capital.
Among those killed was Shoji Onishi, 37, Japan’s deputy consul in Medan.
At least 300 people from the Medan military command, local police and the National Search and Rescue Agency were called out to help battle the flames and evacuate the injured, airport authorities said.
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