U.S., Thailand express condolences

U.S., Thailand express condolences

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The United States and Thailand have offered condolences to the Indonesian people after the "terrible" plane crash that left 149 people dead in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

"It's a terrible tragedy for the people of Indonesia, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims, and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured," AFP quoted State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on Tuesday.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sent a three- member team to assist in the investigation into the cause of the crash, U.S. officials said.

Indonesia will send the plane's flight recorder and cockpit voice recorder to the U.S., Taiwan or Australia for analysis.

Thailand also shares the grief of its Southeast Asian neighbor.

"I am shocked and saddened to hear of the crash of the Mandala Airlines passenger jet near Medan which resulted in the tragic loss of nearly 150 lives, including those of North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin and former North Sumatra Governor Raja Inal Siregar," Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said in a statement.

The Mandala Boeing 737-200 plunged into a densely populated area of Medan on Monday, seconds after taking off from the city's airport, killing 102 people on board and 47 people on the ground. It is the worst air accident in the country in eight years.