Indonesian plane carrying 18 people missing

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Authorities searched for a missing military transport plane south of the capital, Jakarta, on Friday, an Indonesian air force official said.

The Cassa C-212 with 13 passengers and 5 crew disappeared Thursday over the Salak mountains, according to Chaerudin Ray, a spokesman for the Indonesian air force. They were on a mission to try out a digital mapping camera and took off from Halim air base.

Among the passengers were a Briton, an Indian and a Singaporean. All three were employees of the camera company.

Residents in the Salak mountains told local media they heard an explosion in the area, although no wreckage has been found.

Hundreds of police and soldiers searched the jungle at the base of Salak Mountain, about 60 miles south of Jakarta.

"The aircraft has not been found yet. The area is too large," police spokesman Yusuf told The Associated Press.

Indonesia has seen a spate of airline accidents in recent years, including an Adam Air crash that killed 102 and another by national carrier Garuda that killed 21, leading the European Union to ban all Indonesian airlines.

-- CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this story.

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