Two Australia citizens and two local residents died as a result of the catastrophe of a light -engine aircraft, which crashed at the crater of the current volcano in the Philippines.
This was reported by the head of the Australian Foreign Ministry Penny Wong.
“Search and rescue groups have reached the place of falling the aircraft in the Philippines. Unfortunately, there are no survivors,” she said.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, two employees of the Australian gas manufacturing company Santos were among the four passengers of the Cessna 340A aircraft, which flew out of February 18 from the Bikol International Airport to Manila. An hour later, the connection with the dispatchers was interrupted. The fragments of the aircraft were discovered after three days near the crater of the current volcano Maion, located on the island of Luzon (Bilko region, the province of Albai).
The Philippine authorities organized a search operation, but its conduct was complicated by the fact that the wreckage of the aircraft were near the eruption zone. It was also reported that more than 250 employees of emergency rescue services and military personnel were mobilized for this.