Iran Press/ Asia: At least 17 people have died and 40 taken to hospital after a military plane transporting troops crashed in the southern Philippines, the Philippine defense minister said.
Earlier, General Cirilito Sobejana told reporters that at least 40 people have been rescued from the burning wreckage of the C-130, which crashed as it tried to land on Jolo Island, 1,000km (621 miles) south of the capital Manila, after missing the runway during landing on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera.
“Responders are at the site now. We are praying we can save more lives,” Sobejana said.
“It’s very unfortunate. The plane missed the runway, and it was trying to regain power but failed and crashed.”
Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan, reporting from Manila said helicopters were deployed to transport the injured to a nearby hospital.
“The C-130 is one of the newly acquired planes by the Philippines air force. The area where the crashed happened is home to one of the huge bases of the Philippines military,” she added.
C-130 aircraft, the workhorses of the air force, are used to transport troops and supplies. They are also often deployed to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The accident comes after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed last month during a night-time training flight, killing all six onboard.
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