A C-130 plane carrying troops crashed in the southern Philippines. Government forces in the region have been fighting Abu Sayyaf militants in the predominantly Muslim Sulu province for decades.
General Cirilito Sobejana said that the accident happened on the island of Julo in the province of Sulu. “It’s very unfortunate,” Sobejana told reporters. “The plane missed the runway and tried to regain power, but failed and crashed,” the general described the accident.
Lifeguards at the scene of the accident:
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According to the AP agency, 50 people were rescued from the wreckage and taken to the hospital. 29 passengers did not survive the accident. Rescuers are searching for another 17 passengers.
However, the victim of the accident is already at least 31. Two people were civilians who were at the place of the accident where the plane crashed. Four other people were injured in the local village.
The accident happened around midnight, witnesses reportedly saw some soldiers jumping out of a falling plane. The machine exploded after hitting the ground.
There were three pilots and five crew members on board. The rest were soldiers. At the time of the accident on the site it rained heavily, whether it affected the disaster is not yet known.
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