Not Again!I'm home early today because Son no.1 is flying home this evening after a couple of weeks in West Sumatra. He witnessed landlides which killed 30 or so people following heavy rains. He didn't have time to go to North Sumatra.
Now we are watching the TV news which is showing the aftermath of
yet another plane crash, this time in Medan, the
kampung of 'Er Indoors
Apparently, a wing of the Mandala Airlines Boeing 737, en route to Jakarta, touched the roof of a shop on take off a couple of hours ago. There were 109, or 190 depending on the news source, on board. It is obvious from the pictures of the devastation that many more died on the ground.
The airport is due to be relocated because it is in the centre of the expanding city. Rescue teams are bogged down in heavy traffic, which is being made worse by a heavy rainstorm.
The Governor of Medan and his predecessor were on board on their way for a meeting with SBY. Now we await news of friends or friends of friends who may also have been killed.
Postscript
No-one we knew was killed, although we've heard of a friend's house that was destroyed in the resultant fire.
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