MANILA, Philippines: All 9 aboard medical evac plane killed in Philippines crash
In this photo provided by Philippine Red Cross, rescuers look at the site where a plane crashed in Laguna, south of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Sept. 1, 2019. A small plane carrying eight people crashed into a resort area south of the Philippine capital and exploded in flames on Sunday, and at least one body was recovered from the wreckage, officials said. (Philippine Red Cross via AP)
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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — All nine people on board a small medical evacuation plane were killed Sunday when the aircraft crashed into a resort area south of the Philippine capital and exploded in flames, officials said.
The light plane crashed into a resort compound in Pansol village in Laguna province near the foothills of Mount Makiling. Police and rescuers retrieved nine bodies from the wreckage, police said. Two people on the ground were injured and brought to a hospital.
Eric Apolonio, a spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the light plane was on a medical evacuation flight from southern Dipolog city in Zamboanga del Norte province and disappeared from radar for unknown reasons as it flew over Laguna, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the capital. The plane was supposed to land in Manila.
The nine on board the plane included two pilots, two nurses, a doctor, a patient, the patient’s wife and two other people, police said.
Videos posted online by witnesses showed flames and black smoke billowing from the private resort compound in Pansol, a district popular for its hot springs and swimming pools. Firefighters and an ambulance can be seen near the scene of the crash as local officials asked villagers to step back to a safe distance.
The crash happened during the monsoon season, when fewer people visit Pansol’s resorts compared to the hot summer months that ended in June.
Associated Press
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