17 People Killed In A Military Plane Crash In Philippines

In a tragic incident, 17 people died in a Philippine military aircraft crash. The aircraft was carrying troops and nearly 40 were injured. The plane crashed after missing the runway in the country’s south. At the time of the incident, 92 people were on board and most of them are army personnel, who had recently graduated from basic military training.

The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft met with an accident after it tried to land on Jolo island in Sulu province. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that 40 are injured so far and they have been rescued, besides recovering 17 bodies. The viral pictures on social media show the tragically wrecked body of the plane engulfed in flames. Armed Forces Chief General Cirilito Sobejana informed media that the aircraft had been carrying troops from Cagayan de Oro on the southern island of Mindanao. It missed the runway while trying to land on Jolo.

The plane tried to “regain power but didn’t make it,” he told local media, describing the accident as “very unfortunate”. Currently, responders are trying to save more lives. Those who were rescued are being treated at the nearby 11th Infantry Division hospital. Also, an investigation is going on to learn the cause of the crash. The trained troops were being deployed to the island as part of a joint task force fighting terrorism in the Muslim-majority region.