Philippine air force plane crash-lands killing 29 soldiers

In this photo released by the Joint Task Force — Sulu, rescuers search for bodies from the site where a Philippine military C-130 plane crashed in Patikul town, Sulu province, southern Philippines on Sunday. Pic/AP/PTI

A Philippine air force C-130 aircraft carrying combat troops crashed in a southern province while landing on Sunday, killing at least 29 army soldiers on board and two civilians on the ground, while at least 50 were rescued from the burning wreckage, officials said.

Some soldiers were seen jumping off the aircraft before it crashed and exploded around noon in the periphery of the Jolo airport in Sulu province, military officials said. Two of six villagers who were hit on the ground have died.

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said rescue and recovery efforts were ongoing. The aircraft had 96 people on board, including three pilots and five crew and the rest were army personnel, the military said, adding 17 soldiers remained unaccounted for by nightfall. The pilots survived but were seriously injured, officials said.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules was one of two ex-US Air Force aircraft handed over to the Philippines as part of military assistance this year. It crashed while landing shortly before Sunday noon in Bangkal village in the mountainous town of Patikul, military chief of staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said.

Military officials said at least 50 people on board were brought to a hospital in Sulu or flown to nearby Zamboanga city and troops were trying to search for the rest.

50
No. of people rescued from the burning wreckage

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