Plane crash in Indonesia, 21 dead

A PT Garuda Indonesia plane crashed in central Java, killing at least 21 people, according to a report on the website of Bloomberg.

The 15-year-old Boeing 737-400 plane was carrying 140 people. Of the 97 people who were evacuated, one died, cabinet secretary Sudi Silalahi said at a briefing in Jakarta today. Authorities retrieved 20 bodies from the plane, he added.

The report said the plane's fuselage melted as it was consumed by flames about 100 meters off the runway, according to television reports. Sugeng Dwi Riyanto, a health ministry official, who had earlier reported there were 58 fatalities, said officials had double counted. Riyanto said he had seen 22 bodies.

Flight GA 200 originated in Jakarta and crashed as it landed in Yogyakarta at about 7 a.m. local time. There were 133 passengers and seven crew members aboard, the report said quoting Pujobroto, a Garuda spokesman, who uses one name.