Garuda plane crash-lands in river

The Jakarta Post, Klaten

A Garuda Indonesia Airlines 737 crash-landed in a river in Central Java, killing one stewardess, Santi Anggraini, and injuring at least 32 others late Wednesday afternoon.

Santi was found dead after the Boeing 737 carrying 61 passengers, including three babies and seven crew members, made a forced landing into the Bengawan Solo river, Juiring subdistrict, Klaten regency at around 4:45 p.m.

All the passengers aboard GA-421 from Lombok to Yogyakarta survived, Singgih Prawatyo, general manager of the company's Yogyakarta branch, said.

The ill-fated plane was suspected to have suffered "mechanical failure", but several passengers said the plane piloted by Abdul Rozak was forced to land due to heavy turbulence caused by bad weather.

Officials at the scene said the plane had been hit by lighting before it made its emergency landing.

The plane had been expected to land in Yogyakarta at 4:55 p.m. from Ampenan on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara province near the resort island of Bali, when it crashed in Java's longest river. The plane was to continue on to Jakarta.

The aircraft was still floating in the river with its right wing broken. But Garuda officials claimed it was not too damaged as it landed in the water.

At least 25 passengers sustained light injuries and were evacuated by local villagers before being rushed to the Dr Koen Hospital in Surakarta for medical treatment. Others had been taken to the houses of nearby residents.

Yusuf, a Garuda spokesman in Jakarta, said his company had last night sent a technical team involving air transport officials from the Ministry of Transportation to the crash site to investigate.

"It was the first time in history that a Garuda plane made such an emergency landing in the water. It was a better alternative than landing on the land," Yusuf said.