Over 45 Military Personnel Dead in Transport Plane Crash, No Evidence of Attack Found

The death toll from a military transport plane crash in the southern Philippines has reached 45. According to the Philippine Department of Defense, 42 of the deceased were aboard the aircraft, while three others were killed on the ground, reports BBC.

Fifty individuals with various injuries have been successfully rescued from the burning wreckage of the plane. They have been transported to a nearby military hospital. There were 92 people on board the aircraft, the majority of whom were military personnel.

The “Hercules” C-130 aircraft went off the runway on Jolo Island, and the pilots were unable to control the plane. Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the crash site. The aircraft was transporting troops to bolster forces fighting the Islamist group Abu Sayyaf in the southern part of the island.

Authorities have not yet found any evidence of an attack on the aircraft. An investigation into the causes and circumstances of the disaster will begin after the rescue operations are complete.