Jakarta:
Twenty four Indonesian military personnel were killed on Monday when their Fokker-27 plane crashed into a hangar at an airport in West Java amid heavy downpour and burst into flames, officials said.
The turboprop aircraft was making a landing after a regular training flight when the mishap occurred at around 1:05 pm local time (1135 IST) in Bandung, 110 kilometres southeast of Jakarta, an Indonesian air force spokesman said.
The plane was carrying six crew, an instructor and 17 special forces trainees. Reports said the trainees were on a parachuting exercise.
All those on board died and the bodies were taken from the crash site into a nearby hospital, media reports said.
There were no reports so far of anyone on the ground being injured in the incident.
Indonesian news agency Antara quoted ground witnesses as saying that the plane was shaking before it crashed into the airport hangar. The cause of the mishap, which took place amid heavy rains, was yet to be ascertained.
"There was a thundering sound," said Budi Wuraskito, director of operations at the airport. "The plane blew apart inside the hangar, which had several airplanes and helicopters inside."