A MALAYSIA Airlines plane ploughed into a village in the eastern state of Sabah and exploded three times yesterday, killing 34 passengers.
Sixteen people, including two crew, escaped just before the final explosion in the national carrier's worst disaster in nearly two decades, police said. The pilot and co-pilot have not been found.
Police in the Sabah town of Tawau said the charred remains of 34 passengers had been found.
Flight MH2133 from the Sabah state capital, Kota Kinabalu, was carrying 49 passengers and four crew members. It was attempting to land at Tawau airport when it overshot the runway and plunged into neighbouring squatter houses.
Witnesses said they heard a big explosion and saw the Fokker 50 engulfed in flames after it ploughed into 20 wooden houses, the national Bernama news agency said.
Nine people were injured on the ground, two critically, and police were searching the makeshift homes for other injured and possible dead.