Philippine air force C-130 aircraft carrying troops crashed in a southern province after missing the runway on Sunday (July 4), killing at least 50 people.
The C-130 military plane was transporting troops from Cagayan de Oro, in Mindanao, to Sulu province when it missed the runway on the island of Jolo, CNN Philippines reported, citing Armed Forces Chief Cirilito Sobejana.
The plane, which was carrying 96 military personnel and crew, crashed into nearby Patikul village at around 11:30 am local time on Sunday.
Troops, police and firefighters rescued 49 military personnel, including a few who jumped off the aircraft before it exploded and was gutted by fire. Seven people on the ground were also hit by aircraft parts and debris, and three of them died, the military said.
“Minutes after the crash, troops and civilian volunteers rushed to the site for search and rescue. As per eyewitnesses, a number of soldiers were seen jumping out of the aircraft before it hit the ground sparing them from from the explosion caused by the crash,” a press release by Joint Task Force Sulu stated.
A spokesman for the military said 47 army personnel died, while 49 survived the crash and are being treated in hospitals. Three civilians on the ground were killed and four were injured.
Accoring to Reuters, this is the country’s worst military air disaster in around 30 years. In 1993, a Philippine Air Force C-130 crashed, killing 30 people.
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