Indonesia transport plane crash death toll rises

Indonesian officials say 141 bodies have been recovered after a military transport plane crashed in a residential area of Medan on Tuesday.

The military says none of the 122 people on board the Hercules C-130 survived when it hit houses and a hotel before bursting into flames.

Many of the victims are thought to have been relatives of servicemen and women.

But the latest death toll indicates there were at least 19 people killed on the ground.

The military has repeatedly revised the passenger list, a sign of how loosely it keeps track of who gets on its planes, correspondents say.

Alice Budisatrijo, BBC News, Jakarta: Why were there so many civilians on board?

The Indonesian military allows relatives of servicemen and women to hitch a ride on military aircraft. The definition of relatives could be quite loose - they often include people outside the immediate family.

But the Hercules crash in Medan may have exposed a long-running operation in military air bases in Indonesia's remote areas.

People living in places like Natuna islands, where the plane was supposed to go later, are fully aware that flying with the military is a cheaper and sometimes more convenient option when they need to get somewhere.

The military denies that it is a common practice and vows to hunt down any rogue elements within the ranks who may have been involved.