A plane that has been missing since Saturday is believed to have been found after it crashed on one of the most active volcanos in the Philippines, officials have said.
The crash happened shortly after take-off, with the Cessna 340 plane losing contact just three minutes after departing Bicol international airport for the capital, Manila.
Although the wreckage was spotted on Mayon volcano via an aerial search, the rescue team is still working on accessing the site due to poor weather conditions
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The passengers on board the plane are thought to be Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam, who had been working for a geothermal energy firm in the area.
Search and rescue teams are trying to locate them but have struggled due to thick cloud, with only the tail of the plane still being visibly intact at the crash site.
As the investigation continues, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines released a statement about the crash: “The condition of the crew and passengers are not yet known as the exact site has not yet been reached by the search and rescue team due to bad weather”.
Three aerial searches have been interrupted by bad weather, with a team of government personnel and volunteer mountaineers starting to scale the 8,077ft volcano on Tuesday.
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It’s expected that they will reach the crash site by Wednesday morning at the latest.
According to the Mayor Carlos Baldo of Camalig, a neighbouring town, the team are in for a ‘difficult mission’ due to the volcano’s active nature, steep slopes and the bad weather.
Teresito Bacolcol, who is one of the country’s best volcanologists, also shared his concerns, stating: “It’s a race against time and it’s a matter of life and death, but there’s also the danger of rockfalls and volcanic lahar."
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Because of this, the mountaineers have been equipped with satellite phones in a bid to aid the search.
The Australian workers’ firm have also deployed helicopters and drones, as they support the investigation into the tragic accident.
Usually no one is allowed to enter the danger zone surrounding the Mayon volcano, which is roughly 3.7 miles around the active site.
The volcano last erupted in 2018 and displaced tens of thousands of residents.
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Due to it still being one of the most active volcanos in the Philippines, government officials are still monitoring as search team work.
Topics: World News
Katherine Sidnell