Crash in the Philippines: a disaster of historic proportions

17 people are still missing after a military machine crash in the south of the Philippines, killing at least 29. Some soldiers were apparently able to save themselves before the plane hit the ground.

Behind green palm trees, a black column of smoke rises into the blue sky. Cell phone pictures show the crash site on the Philippine island of Jolo. On site, men in combat uniforms and first aiders with orange helmets rescue the injured from the rubble.

At least 29 people were killed. 50 are currently being treated at the island’s military hospital. The military said they were still looking for 17 people. It’s the country’s worst military air disaster in nearly 30 years.

Missed runway

The machine was reportedly started near Manila at an air force base and then on its way to Jolo via Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao.

The pilot of the C-130 Hercules transport plane missed the runway when approaching the island of Jolo. When trying to start again, the plane crashed a few kilometers from the airport, said Army Chief Cirilito Sobejana.

In addition to 84 passengers, there were three pilots and five crew members in the machine. Why the landing at Jolo airport failed was initially unclear. An air force officer told the AP news agency that the runway there is shorter than most of the rest of the Philippines. In the event of a mistake, it is difficult to change direction.

Shelling is unlikely

Some soldiers jumped from the plane before it hit the ground. In this way, they were spared the explosion that was caused by the crash, said emergency services on site.

The transport machine C-130 was one of two former aircraft of the
US Air Force, which was transferred to the Philippines this year as part of a military support program.

Regional commander Corleto Vinluan said it was unlikely that the plane would have come under fire when it landed. According to eyewitnesses, the plane was simply too late to land.

In the fight against Islamist groups

Many of the soldiers had just completed their basic military training and should now be stationed on the island of Jolo. The island is located in the predominantly Muslim south of the Philippines. The army has been fighting Islamist groups like Abu Sayyaf there for years.

This was founded in the 1990s with money by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The group became known through the kidnapping of numerous foreigners. In 2017, the Islamists beheaded the 70-year-old German sailor Jürgen Kantner after their demands for a ransom of around $ 600,000 had not been met.