Plane crashes in Indonesia, 18 feared dead

Jakarta: Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan on Thursday said that a small plane carrying 18 people crashed in western Indonesia.

He said the CASA C-212 aircraft went down on Thursday in the North Sumatran village of Bahorok.

It was carrying three crew members and 15 passengers.

Ervan says rescuers received reports about the crash from local residents and were still trying reach the scene.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation of 240 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings. Many are blamed on overcrowding and poor safety standards.