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Jetliner Crashes Into Indonesian City Monday September 5, 2005 6:01 AM
The Boeing 737 was operated by Mandala, an aging low-cost carrier, and had been heading to Jakarta, Transport Minister Hatta Radjasa said. He said 109 people were aboard. Syahrial Anas, a doctor overseeing the removal of bodies at the crash site, said at least 60 people were killed. "We're having a hard time getting to the bodies, because of the heat,'' Anas told The Associated Press. The airport in Medan, the largest city on Sumatra island, is close to the center of town and surrounded by densely populated residential areas. Mandala, which is partially owned by the military, has recently slashed the number of flights it operates to stay in business amid aggressive competition by newer airlines. Many of its planes are more than 10 years old. Indonesia's last crash involving a jetliner was in February 2005, when 26 people were killed when a plane operated by Lion Air, another low-cost carrier, skidded off the runway on Java Island, killing 26 people.
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