VIDEO: Military cargo plane crashes in Medan

An Indonesian air force transport plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood in the country's third-largest city of Medan shortly after takeoff on Tuesday, killing dozens of people.

Rescue teams were using heavy machinery to remove the mangled wreckage of the C-130 Hercules as they searched the rubble of a building shattered by the impact.

Air force spokesman Rear Marshal Dwi Badarmanto said 74 bodies have been recovered so far. He said about 30 of the dead have been identified and include air force personnel and members of their families.