JAKARTA --A plane operated by the Indonesian air force went down in the Pasuruan district of East Java province on Thursday, and an explosion happened after the plane touched the ground, a rescuer said.

The accident occurred at 11:43 am local time, Muhammad Hariyadi, head of the provincial search and rescue office, told Xinhua over the phone.

Hariyadi said the plane fell on the slope of the volcano Mount Bromo, adding that his personnel were taking part in evacuation operations for the victims.