Manila: The Philippine forces found the last five dead from the accident of a transport aircraft in the south, raising the 50th death in the military worst air disaster, said officials said Monday.
Hercules Lockheed C-130 brought 96 most combat troops when exceeding the foundation while landing on Sunday at Jolo Airport in Sulu Province, a military official said.
It slammed into the coconut forest surpassing the airport and exploded in fire in the daytime disaster witnessed by the army and fearful villagers.
Troops, police and firefighters saved 49 military personnel, including some who jumped from the plane before exploding and destroyed by fire.
Seven people on the ground were beaten by the parts of the plane and debris, and three of them died, the military said.
Hercules Lockheed C-130 is one of the two updated US Air Force aircraft handed over to the Philippines, Ally the oldest agreement of Washington in Asia, as part of military assistance this year.
The aircraft had previously brought a two-star General Romeo Brawner Jr., his wife and three children from Manila to Cagayan de Oro South, where he would become a new military regional commander on Monday.
Those riding the C-130 in Cagayan de Oro for flights to Sulu were army troops, many of them were newly trained, to be deployed in the battle against Abu Sayyaf militants in the south.
Brawner stunned to learn aircraft that had just been flown.
“We are very grateful that we are spared, but it is very sad that so many lose their lives,” Brawner said.
A video taken by the troops showed that the plane landing in the sunny weather then disappeared outside the airport.
“It vanished, disappeared,” said a soldier.
Dark gray smoke was then tied from the location of the crash in the wooded area when the troops, shouted, “it fell, it fell” and released a curse in horror.
“They should join us in our struggle against terrorism,” said the Sulu Maj Military Commander.
General William Gonzales.
Government forces have combined Abu Sayyaf’s guerrillas in Sulu Province who are dominated by Muslims for decades.
Not immediately clear what caused an accident and researcher to find the C-130 black box containing the voice recorder and data of the Cockpit flight.
Regional Military Commander Lieutenant General Corleto Vinlu said it was unlikely that the plane faked fire.
Military Chief of Staff General Cirilito Sobjana told reporters on Sunday that “the plane missed the runway and tried to regain strength but failed and fell.” A air force official told AP that Jolo’s runway was shorter than most others in this country, making it more difficult for pilots to adjust if a plane missed a landing place.
The official, who had flown a military aircraft to and from Jolo several times, spoke with anonymous requirements due to lack of authority to speak publicly.
President Rodrigo Duterte expanded the military presence in Sulu in the full division at the end of 2018, mobilizing hundreds of additional troops, air force aircraft and other combat equipment after vowing to remove Abu Sayyaf.
Small but brutal group has been examined by M.
and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for ransom kidnapping, bombing and beheading.
Before Sunday, the most deadly disaster of the Philippine Air Force was an accident in the rice fields in North Manila in 1971 which killed 40 military personnel, said Military Historian Jose Custodio.
The Blackhawk S-701 helicopter was just delivered more than a week near Clark Freeport, a former air base A.S., killing all six air force personnel on board.
The Philippine government has struggled for years to modernize its military, one of the most non-equipped Asia, because it deals with Muslim and communist rebellion for decades and scattering territorials with China and other prosecutors in the South China Sea.