DHAKA: Thirty-eight bodies have been recovered from the crash site of an Indonesian military aircraft in the city of Medan.

An Indonesian Red Cross official Zulkifli said, reports CNN.

Local TV reported that the Hercules crashed into two houses and a car and burst into flames.

Moreover, military spokesman Fuad Basya told the BBC that the plane came down soon after take-off and that there were at least 12 crew members on board.

Officials say that bodies were recovered from the plane wreckage.

A major rescue operation is under way at the crash site which was covered in flames and thick black smoke.

Large crowds watched the emergency services search the flaming wreckage, with the fuselage of the aircraft visible through the thick plumes of smoke. Buildings in the area of the crash were clearly damaged.

‘I saw the plane from the direction of the airport and it was tilting already, then I saw smoke billowing,’ a local resident told the media.

The cause of the crash is not yet clear but Air Force Chief of Staff Agus Supriatna said that the pilot had asked to return to base because of technical difficulties.

‘The plane crashed while it was turning right to return to the airport,’' he said.

Correspondents say that it is the second time in 10 years that a plane has crashed in Medan.

BDST: 1555 HRS, JUN 30, 2015
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