A Philippine air force C-130 aircraft carrying troops crashed in a southern province after missing the runway on Sunday (July 4), killing at least 17 military personnel while at least 40 were rescued from the burning wreckage.
The aircraft had 92 people on board, including three pilots and five crew. The rest were army personnel.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement that among the 92 personnel on board the C-130 Hercules transport, three were pilots and five crew members, with the rest being “Army personnel reporting for duty”, reports Xinhua news agency.
Lorenzana added that rescue and recovery operations are ongoing.
Armed Forces of the Philippine chief of staff General Cirilito Sobejana said the plane was transporting troops from Cagayan de Oro City on Mindanao island when it crashed at around 11.30 am on Jolo island.
Also Read | Jio Launches Emergency Data Loan Facility, Offers Upto 5GB Data On Pay-Later Basis