The military’s worst air disaster claims the life of 50, leaving 49 injured while the Philippine troops found the last 5 dead from the crash of the transport aircraft in the South, as mentioned by the officials on Monday.
While landing at the Jolo airport in Sulu province on Sunday, the Lockheed C130 Hercules was carrying 96 troops (mostly combat) when it overshot the runway and slammed into a coconut grove beyond the airport, followed by bursting into flames in a noontime disaster which was witnessed by horrified soldiers along with villagers.
Including those few who jumped off the aircraft before the explosion and were gutted by fire, 49 military personnel were been rescued by police, troops, and firefighters while seven people on the ground were being hit by the aircraft parts and debris claiming the lives of three.
As a part of military assistance this year, The Lockheed C130 Hercules was being handed over to Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia, the Philippines, while the aircraft was one of the two refurbished United States Airforce aircraft.
Two-star General Romeo Brawner Jr along with his wife and three children were being carried by the aircraft from Manila to Southern Cagayan de Oro city earlier where he’s set to become the new military regional commander on Monday.
Many of those who boarded the C130 in Cagayan de Oro for the flight to Sulu newly trained recruits, who were to be deployed in the battle against Abu Sayyaf militants in the South.