Russian-made cargo plane crash-lands soon after takeoff from Cambodia's capital

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: A Russian-made cargo plane crash-landed in a rice field Wednesday night shortly after takeoff from Phnom Penh International Airport, a Cambodian aviation official said.

Police said one crew member was injured.

Him Sarun, Cabinet chief for the Secretariat of Civil Aviation, said the plane took off at about 9 p.m. and was headed to Singapore when it crashed about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the airport. He said the plane was an Antonov AN-12, but he had no details about its crew or ownership.

A senior police official at the airport said the plane had an engine problem which forced the crew to make the crash-landing. The officer, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said a crew member, who appeared to be from a former Soviet republic, was injured, but he did not know to what extent. The total number of crew aboard was unknown.

The officer said the plane was exporting clothing — Cambodia's biggest export.