Over 100 Dead in Indonesia After Military Plane Crashes in Residential Area

— -- An Indonesian Air Force C-130 Hercules crashed today into a residential neighborhood in Medan, the country’s third largest city, killing more than 100 people on board, authorities said.

Officials have not reported the number of people who were killed on the ground, so the death toll is expected to rise. For now, Air force chief air marshal Agus Supriatna told ABC News, all 101 passengers and 12 crew members on board the plane died.

The plane crashed into houses and buildings, including a hotel, located near the Soewondo Air Force Base, where the plane took off. Adam Malik Hospital officials told the news site detik.com the hospital has received 36 bodies, with three victims saved.

None of the bodies has been identified and it's unclear how many of the victims are military personnel and how many are civilians, North Sumatra police chief Eko Hadi Sutedjo said.

Local station Metro TV has reported that 50 forensic doctors will be tasked with identifying the corpses.

Supriatna, the chief air marshal, said the pilot told the control tower that the plane needed to turn back because of engine trouble.

"The plane crashed while it was turning right to return to the airport," Supriatna said.

Witnesses reported an explosion from above the hotel, as well as a crash. Heavy smoke and fire could be seen in the area after the crash, as hundreds of people milled about nearby.

The C-130 Hercules was built in 1964 and has four engines.

The tragedy marks the second plane crash in a residential section of Medan in the past decade, and the second major plane crash in the country in the past seven months.

Mandala Airlines Flight 091 – a Boeing 737 – crashed in a crowded residential area in Medan on Sept. 5, 2005, after taking off from Polonia International Airport, killing 100 people on board and another 49 people on the ground.

More recently, 162 people were killed when a commercial AirAsia jet crashed into the Java Sea in December.

Medan, with about 3.4 million people, is the third most populous city in Indonesia after the capital, Jakarta, and Surabaya.

ABC News' Ben Gittleson, Kirit Radia and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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