Turkish military plane crashes, killing 20

Turkey's defence ministry said on Wednesday that 20 soldiers had been killed in the crash of a C-130 Hercules military plane in Georgia. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan to Turkey and crashed on Tuesday in the Kacheti district of eastern Georgia.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. Turkish and Georgian authorities have launched an investigation at the crash site.

Footage from the area shows the wreckage of the plane scattered across a field, while videos on social media show the machine disintegrating in mid-air and then crashing.

The plane's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, has pledged to help with the investigation. The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop transport aircraft designed to carry troops, cargo and equipment and is one of the main tactical transport aircraft of the world's armed forces.

(reuters, est)