Indonesian Transportation Minister Hatta Radjasa said 23 people
had died in Wednesday's Garuda plane accident in Yogyakarta.
A Garuda Boeing 737-400 with 140 passengers and crew on board
burst into flames after landing at the local Adisutjipto airport at
about 7:00 AM local time.
Some 92 people were injured in the tragedy, while 27 others were
safe and had returned home, but had not yet reported themselves to
the airport's command post, according to the airport's spokesman,
Ary Subagya.
"The number of passengers was 133 and it had a 7-member crew
including five cabin attendants, pilot and co-pilot," the minister
said at a press conference in Yogyakarta.
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The bodies of the dead victims were now kept at Dr Sardjito
hospital for identification by forensic teams from the hospital and
the police.
The government had formed a team to investigate the accident in
cooperation with an Australian team.
"I have talked with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer
for the setting up of a joint investigation as some Australians and
other foreigners were among the victims," he said.
Nearly 20 foreigners were on board Wednesday's flight from the
capital Jakarta, a 50-minute hop. Skies were clear as the plane
approached just before 7 AM.
An Italian survivor said the plane appeared to be going too fast
as it approached the runway.
"The plane landed at a crazy speed. It was going into a dive and
I was certain we would crash on the ground," Alessandro
Bertellotti, told Italy's state news agency, ANSA. "I was sitting
behind the wing... I saw that the pilot was trying to stop it, but
it was too fast. It literarily bounced on the strip."
Bertellotti said fire broke out on the seats in front of him,
right after the impact.
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Nine passengers on board the plane were Australians, most of them
diplomatic staff and journalists, heading to Yogyakarta for Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer's planned meeting with religious leaders
following an anti-terrorism conference. Indonesian officials said
at least two Australians were among the dead, one a financial
reporter.
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(Xinhua News Agency,
China Daily via agencies March 8,
2007)
