The Garuda Airlines Boeing 737-400 appeared to overshoot the runway before flames shot out, and witnesses reported hearing an explosion, according to media reports.I've been highly critical of Indonesia in my previous posts about the disappearance of an Adam Air aircraft and the state of the budget carriers and the airline industry there. Garuda ain't no budget carrier- it's a state airline- but this incident will most probably make me not want to fly ANY Indonesian airlines.
There were 133 passengers and seven crew members onboard, and 93 people were evacuated and taken to local hospitals, the airline told CNN.
A Yogyakarta hospital reported receiving 24 to 25 people from the incident but did not elaborate.
Among the passengers onboard were Australian government officials and members of the Australian media, the Australian Foreign Ministry in Canberra told CNN. The Australian government released no further information about their fate, but The Associated Press quoted Australian Prime Minister John Howard as saying, "There appears to have been a significant loss of life."
Ten Australians were on the flight, and "not all of those have been accounted for," he said.
Previously:
20 Adam Air pilots left within months
Indonesia lacks expertise and technology for its airline industry
Why I wont be flying budget airlines
3 comments:
And, of course, it's not just the airlines, but the ferries as well. Half-assed operations run on a shoestring budget will win no friends (or customers). Their carriers (air, sea and land) need to maximize their training and maintenance in order to keep passengers and employees safe, even if it means cutting back on the operations to finance the former.
oh god no. ive actually taken garuda twice.
I think Indonesia is cursed too. Poor thing.
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