One Seriously Injured After Cargo Plane Crash-Lands in Rice Paddy

A Russian-made cargo plane crash-landed in a rice paddy outside the capital late Wednesday, injuring all five crew members aboard, one of them seriously, authorities said.

One crew member broke his left leg, one sustained a head injury, and three others incurred minor injuries after the plane went down in a muddy field of knee-deep water.

Rescue teams took three hours to remove the crew, whose plane experienced difficulties after take-off from Phnom Penh International Airport en route to Singapore, authorities said.

The Antonov-12, operated by Imtrec Aviation Company, was carrying garments that were either damaged or looted by villagers following the landing, Agence France-Presse reported.

This is the second Antonov to crash in Cambodia in four months, following the June crash of a tourist charter in coastal mountains that killed all 22 aboard.

By Thursday afternoon, rescue teams had transported the remains of the looting to a Phnom Penh warehouse. Authorities said they planned to move the severely damaged plane back to the airport for subsequent removal by its operator.