INDONESIA HOTLINE

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said the flight accident in Madiun, East Java, had killed at least 98 persons and injured 15 others, including military personnels and their family members, as well as two local inhabitants.

He said some TNI officers in the ill-fated airplane heading to Biak, Papua, brought with them their family members, contributing to a large number of civilians killed in the military plane crash.

Djoko denied accusation that the military had commercialized its flight service.

"There is no such thing as commercialization (of flight service). This is a routine flight. (The civilians) are the families of military officers," Djoko said, adding that among the victims were the wife, the mother in law, and children of Biak air force commander Harsono.

"This is an old practice. How much do you think the salaries of military officers? If they're assigned to Irian, Papua, who wants to pay for (their commercial flight)?" he added.

Djoko also denied cut in maintenance and operational budget for military aircrafts, saying since the beginning the budget was "insufficient" and that the government would give more priority to make it closer to an "ideal" amount.

He said the cause of the accident was currently still under investigation, and that it might be attributable to the weather condition, given that Iswahyudi Airport, where the plane took off, was covered by ground fog in the morning.

"As we know, the weathers, either in the air, land or sea, have become more unpredictable now along with the climate change," Djoko told reporters after reporting the accident to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace.

The President expressed his condolence for the families of the victims, and instructed the military, particularly the air force, to apply "extra" inspection and give "highest priority" to ensure flight safety and security.