Death toll rose to 45 when an Air Force C-130 plane carrying military forces crashed while landing in a southern Philippine province. The AFP news agency gave this information citing the army. Some soldiers were seen jumping from the plane before the plane crashed and caught fire in the afternoon at Jolo airport in Sulu province, officials said. Six people on the ground were hit by the plane, two of whom died.
Philippine Defense Minister Delphine Lorenzana said rescue operations were underway. The military said there were 96 people on board, including three drivers and five crew members. The crashed Lockheed C-130 Hercules was one of two US Air Force planes returned to the Philippines this year as military aid. Chief of Staff Gen. Sirilito Sobejana said the plane crashed in the village of Bangkal in the mountainous town of Patikul, Sulu province, as it landed just before noon Sunday.
Military officials said at least 50 people on the plane were taken to hospitals in Sulu or the nearby town of Jomboanga, and military forces are trying to find the rest. “Witnesses reported that several soldiers were seen jumping from the plane before it reached the ground, which saved them from being hit by an explosion after the crash,” the military said in a report. communicated.
The rear of the cargo plane is visible in the first images released by the army. Other parts of the plane were either burned or torn and scattered. Smoke was rising from the crash site and rescuers were coming and going with stretchers.
The plane was taking military forces from the southern town of Cagayan de Oro to Sulu for deployment. Government forces have fought for decades against Abu Sayyaf militants in the predominantly Muslim province of Sulu. The reason for the plane crash was not immediately clear. (Death toll)
Regional military commander Lt. Gen. Koleto Wanluan said the plane was unlikely to have been attacked by enemies. He cited eyewitnesses who said the plane likely overshot the runway.
Sobejana said: “It is very unfortunate. The plane did not land on the runway. The pilot tried to control it again, but could not do so and the plane crashed. ” An Air Force official told The Associated Press that Jolo’s runway is shorter than other runways in the country. And if the plane is not able to land in a certain place to land there then it becomes difficult for the pilot to control it. The officer, who flew military planes from Jolo to Jolo several times, gave this information on condition of anonymity.
Due to the formation of tropical pressure, it is raining in different parts of the Philippines, but the weather in the Sulu region was seen in the photos. Jolo Airport, the main town of Sulu, is located a few kilometers from the mountainous region. The military forces in this region are fighting against Abu Sayyaf. Some terrorists have joined forces with the Islamic State organization. (Death toll)
The United States and the Philippines have blacklisted Abu Sayyaf for bombing, kidnapping for ransom and beheading. Although the Abu Sayyaf group has weakened over the years due to government action, it remains a threat.
