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Light aircraft skids off runway in Indonesia's Papua, kills one

Other News Materials 30 January 2008 11:55 (UTC +04:00)

( dpa ) - A light airplane with 18 people on board skidded off a runway in a remote area of Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Wednesday, killing one person on the ground and injuring three others, local media reports said.

The Twin Otter aircraft, operated by the private company Aviastar Mandiri, carrying 18 passengers including a crew of three, skidded off the runway during an attempted landing at Sugapa airport of Papua province. It was traveling from the district town of Paniai, a local airport official told the Jakarta-based Elshinta private radio station.

The passengers on board the plane included the chief of the Paniai district, Naftali Yogi, and several of his subordinates, according to Kompas Cyber Media online news service.

When landing at Sugapa airport, about 3,000 kilometres north-east of Jakarta, the plane suddenly skidded off the left side of the runway and hit a group of people waiting nearby, killing one and injuring two others, Stefanus Yudi, a Catholic priest, told the same radio station.

One critically injured passenger was flown to Timika district for medical treatment.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

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