All 16 on crashed Indonesian plane dead

JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE. Rescuers have reached the wreckage of a small plane that crashed into a remote Indonesian jungle and reported that all 16 people aboard were dead, an airline official said Wednesday.

The Twin Otter came down in bad weather Sunday as it flew over the Papua region in eastern Indonesia, much of which is covered with thick jungles and mountains. It was carrying two crew members and 14 passengers, including two children.

Bambang Bhakti, president director of airline Merpati Nusantara, said rescue teams reached the site of the crash Wednesday and reported there were no survivors.

Indonesia, a nation of more than 18,000 islands, has experienced a string of air crashes in recent years.

In 2007, the European Union banned all Indonesian carriers from landing in the bloc. It recently lifted the ban on four airlines, including Garuda, the country's flagship carrier, saying standards had improved. (AP)