45 killed as Philippine military jet crashes after missing runway

dpa Manila At least 45 people were killed on Sunday when a military C-130 plane crashed and burst into flames in the southern Philippines after missing th...

dpa ManilaAt least 45 people were killed on Sunday when a military C-130 plane crashed and burst into flames in the southern Philippines after missing the runway during landing, officials said.Forty-two of the dead were Philippine soldiers on the plane that crashed on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, while three were civilians on the ground, the Department of Defence said.Five soldiers were still unaccounted for, while 49 troops managed to escape the burning wreckage, some of them by jumping from the plane as it was still in the air.“Per eyewitnesses, a number of soldiers were seen jumping out of the aircraft before it hit the ground, sparing them from the explosion caused by the crash,” said Major General William Gonzales, commander of a military anti-terrorism task force.The aircraft was carrying a total of 96 military personnel, including three pilots and five crew members, according to the flight manifest.“These individuals were supposed to report to their battalions today,” Gonzales added. “They were supposed to join us in our fight against terrorism.” Four civilians were hospitalised, according a ministry statement, adding that “retrieval operations are still ongoing.” Jolo is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, which has been blamed for some of the worst bombings and high-profile kidnappings in the Philippines.Cirilito Sobejana, the armed forces chief of staff, said the plane crashed before noon (0400 GMT) after “it missed the runaway trying to regain power” while landing.A burst of flames and a huge column of black smoke were seen as the plane crashed.Photos from the military showed the aircraft burning among coconut trees, with only the tail-end section intact.  The C-130 came from an airbase in Manila and passed by the city of Cagayan de Oro in the southern region of Mindanao before going to Jolo, an air force statement said.It was delivered in January and commissioned the following month.On June 23, six air force personnel died when a Blackhawk helicopter crashed in the northern province of Tarlac while on a night training flight.“I have ordered a full investigation to get to the bottom of the incident as soon as the rescue and recovery operation is completed,” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, amid allegations of defective equipment being purchased by the military.“We call on the public to refrain from spreading highly speculative statements about the unfortunate incident,” he added.US Embassy Charge d’Affaires John Law offered condolences to the families of those who died in the crash.  “The US Embassy is assisting (the defence department) in providing medical support and stands ready to provide further assistance,” he added.