Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A Philippine military plane carrying troops crashed and caught fire, Sunday (4/7/2021). At least 45 people were killed and dozens injured.
Launch AFP, it was one of the country’s deadliest military aviation accidents. The plane flies to the island of Jolo, in the province of Sulu, Philippines.
The C-130 Hercules plane was carrying nearly 100 people, most of whom were army school graduates. In addition to the soldiers, three civilians were also killed.
“This is a sad day but we must keep hope,” said Major General William Gonzales, commander of the Joint Task Force-Sulu in a statement.
“We ask the nation to pray for those injured and those killed in this tragedy.”
Meanwhile, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Cirilito Sobejana, said the plane was carrying troops from Cagayan de Oro on the southern island of Mindanao. But when trying to land the plane was unable to control the power.
The four-engine plane crashed near a mine in a sparsely populated area. An eyewitness, high school student Almar Hajiri Aki, told AFP The explosion sounded very loud.
“I thought our house was going to collapse,” he said.
The C-130 has been in service with air forces around the world for decades, being used to transport troops, supplies, and vehicles. These aircraft are also frequently deployed to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The Hercules that fell on Sunday have the same tail numbers as those obtained from the United States (US) and shipped to the Philippines earlier this year. It was the fourth military plane crash this year with a “mass casualty”.
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