Toll in Philippines military plane crash rises to 50
The Lockheed C-130 aircraft overshot the runway at Jolo airport and crashed into a coconut grove.
The toll in the Philippines military plane crash rose to 50 on Monday after rescuers recovered the last five bodies, the AP reported.
The Lockheed C-130 aircraft overshot the runway while landing at Jolo airport in Philippines’ Sulu province on Sunday. It crashed into a coconut grove and caught fire.
The plane had 96 passengers. Most of them were Army personnel who were to be deployed in a mission to fight a militant group in Sulu. Many of them were recently recruited.
Three civilians on the ground were among those killed. They were hit by the aircraft’s debris, according to the news agency.
Investigators are searching for the aircraft’s black boxes and flight data recorders to determine the cause of the crash. Philippines army spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo told the BBC there was no indication that the aircraft had been attacked.
Philippines’ armed forces chief General Cirilito Sobejana had on Sunday said the plane missed the runway and it was “trying to regain power but failed and crashed”, according to the AP.
Meanwhile, an unidentified air force official told the AP that the runway at Jolo is shorter than other airports in Philippines, which creates difficulties for pilots in case the plane misses the landing spot.