Authorities in Indonesia say 22 people died when a Boeing 737-400 from Indonesia’s state carrier Garuda crashed and burst into flames on landing at Yogyakarta airport in Indonesia today.
Five Australians have been reported missing and another five escaped the inferno.
Many passengers were trapped inside the burning fuselage.
Indonesian avaition officials have launched an enquiry into the crash with one suggesting that the aircraft was travelling too fast as it landed in good weather.
Eye witnesses said the aircraft, flying from Jakarta, had overshot the runway.
Several Australian diplomatic officials, federal police and media were on board the plane. Those taken to hospitals in Yogyakarta have told of the panic by passengers fleeing the burning fuselage.
Australia’s foreign minister Alexander Downer and attorney general Phillip Ruddock were due to fly to Yogyakarta on a private VIP jet and CNN reported that they remained in Jakarta and were not on board the aircraft that crashed.
