Indonesian plane crashes, 147 dead

MEDAN, Indonesia -- An Indonesian jetliner slammed into a crowded neighborhood moments after a shaky takeoff Monday and burst into flames, killing 147 people, including dozens on the ground. At least 15 passengers survived, among them an 18-month-old boy, officials said.\nThe Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 was heading to Jakarta in overcast weather when it plowed into a row of houses 500 yards from the airport and skidded onto a busy road in this city on northeast Sumatra island. Witnesses said some people were on fire as they fled the wreckage.\nFirefighters struggled to put out the blaze, which engulfed dozens of houses and at least 10 cars, in a midmorning rainstorm.\nThe plane was carrying 116 passengers and crew, airline spokesman Alex Widjojo said. There were differing accounts on the number of survivors.\nThe dead included the governor of North Sumatra province, who was heading to the capital to meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.\nAirline spokeswoman Nining -- who like many Indonesians uses only one name -- said 16 people survived.\nMedan police chief Col. Irawan Dahlan said there were 15 survivors from the plane.\nIndonesian Transportation Minister Hatta Rajasa was quoted by the private Detik.com news Web site as saying 47 people on the ground were killed.\nCity hospitals also were treating at least a dozen residents, officials said.\nMany of the flight's survivors were sitting in the back of the plane, passenger Rohadi Sitepu said.\n"The plane was taking off, but suddenly there was a strong tremor and it jerked to the left and crashed," he told Metro TV from his hospital bed. "There was fire everywhere, from the front of the plane to the back."\nWitnesses said the plane started shaking violently when it reached an altitude of about 100 yards before banking to the left and plunging to the ground.\n"I saw at least 20 people running around with their clothes alight," said Awi, a shop owner. "They were shrieking in agony and shouting, 'Help! Help!'"\nThe cause of the crash was under investigation, but foul play was highly unlikely, said airline managing director Asril Tanjung.\nHundreds of policemen, paramedics and residents tried to evacuate victims, but flames and thousands of onlookers hampered efforts, said Syahrial Anas, a doctor overseeing the removal of charred bodies.\n"We're having a hard time getting to the bodies because of the heat," Anas told The Associated Press.\nAt the Jakarta airport, dozens of relatives and friends of the victims cried upon hearing the news.\nMandala Airlines is a Jakarta-based domestic carrier founded in 1969 by a military-run foundation. Its 15-plane fleet consists mainly of 1970s-vintage Boeing 737-200 jets. In recent years, the financially troubled airline has been forced to cut services and fares to remain competitive.\nThe plane was nearly 25 years old and received its last comprehensive service in June, Mandala said. It had flown more than 50,000 hours and was due to be retired in 2016.