Asia-Pacific
Indonesian passenger plane plunges into river, 20 injured
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-13 13:42
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JAKARTA - A commercial plane operated by Merpati Airline skidded off runway and plunged into a river near the airport in Manokwari of Papua on Tuesday, injuring 20 people, police and official said.
The head of the plane sank in the water and its body broke into two parts, Papua police spokesman Agus Rianto told Xinhua by phone.
The plane, a Boeing 737 with about 100 people on board, moved over 700 meters from the runway after landing in heavy rain, he said.
All the wounded are rushed to nearby hospitals in Manokwari, said Rianto.
Director for Air Transport of Transport Ministry Herry Bhakti told Xinhua by phone that the accident left twenty people injured, some seriously.
The accident took place at 10: 50 am local time (0150 GMT), the spokesman said.
Plane is a favorite transport mean in Papua which has poor land transport infrastructure.
