Jungle trek to find crash survivors

Rescuers believe there could be survivors after a plane crashed in dense jungle in Indonesia.

The wreckage of the small plane was spotted by rescue teams with the fuselage intact and the door open.

They have now embarked on an arduous trek through the thick jungle to try to reach the plane, which is near the mountainous village of Bahorok.

Troops are on standby to parachute into the area. They could clear jungle so that helicopters can reach the wreck.

Eighteen people, including four children, were on the Spanish-designed CASA C-212 when it lost contact with air traffic control half way through its 30-minute flight between North Sumatra and Aceh provinces early yesterday.

Minutes later, the turbo-prop aircraft sent out a distress signal and then dropped off the radar.

A witness told a local TV station: "I saw a smoking plane circling very low before it disappeared from my view." The wreckage of the aircraft - with the wings still attached to the fuselage - is on a 60-degree slope at an altitude of 5,000 feet.

Robur Rizallianto, a safety manager with the airline, said one of the doors was open although the spotters failed to see any of the passengers. He added that thick fog and the hilly jungle terrain were hampering rescue efforts but added that the teams would continue to push towards the crash site.

The aircraft, made in Indonesia in 1989, was last inspected on September 22, said Mr Rizallianto. It was in good condition, he said, and had passed a check before take-off yesterday. Indonesia, a sprawling nation of 240million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings. Many of the disasters have been blamed on overcrowding and poor safety standards.