Hercules crash kills 'up to 15'

2005-01-31 08:04

Baghdad - As many as 15 British military personnel died Sunday when the transport plane they were travelling in crashed in central Iraq, military sources said.

The Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules, which can carry up to 128 troops, went down northwest of Baghdad at 4.40pm (13:40 GMT), according to the military press office in Baghdad.

Military sources told Britain's Press Association that the number killed in the crash was "around 10", with it "highly unlikely" to be more than 15.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but it happened during a series of attacks aimed at sabotaging the first democratic elections in Iraq for 50 years. At least 37 people were killed and 96 others wounded in the attacks.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said "people lost their lives" in the crash, but not specifying how many had perished or providing any other details.

"This country and the wider world will never forget them," said Blair.

Wreckage from the plane was reportedly scattered over a large area.

It was not clear how many crew were on board the aircraft and whether it was carrying equipment or troops - the four-turboprop plane can carry a crew of five or six and up to 128 troops.

US military helicopters were at the site of crash.

Prior to the crash 75 British troops had lost their lives in Iraq in combat or accidents.

Britain currently has about 7 500 troops in Iraq.

An officer stationed in Baghdad said the plane had been heading to Balad, 70km north of Baghdad.

Balad houses one of the largest US airbases in Iraq and has two runways, according to Britain's Press Association newswire. Its 25-square-kilometre airfield is protected by a 20-kilometre security perimeter.

Wreckage from the cargo plane, from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, was scattered far and wide, the Press Association said, quoting a US military officer.

The newswire quoted military sources in Iraq as saying the transport plane rarely travels north of Baghdad.

The sources said the aircraft was primarily used to ferry troops from the British sector headquarters in Basra, the main southern city, to the capital.

According to the Royal Air Force website, the Hercules is used primarily to carry troops, passengers and freight. The maximum payload is 20 tonnes.

It said the Lockheed C-130 Hercules is the most widely used transport aircraft in the West and has been in production longer than any other aircraft in history.

The prototype flew in August 1954 and since then over 60 nations have ordered the Hercules.

Those in use by the RAF are C-130K versions - known as Hercules C1 and C3 - and initial deliveries were made during the mid-1960s.

The RAF site said many are destined to remain in service for some years to come, although about half of the fleet have been replaced by the updated C-130J - Hercules C4 and C5.

- AFP