Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Wreckage of missing plane confirmed on Philippine volcano

Searching for passengers of a Cessna 340 aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 at Tumpa Gulley, Camalig town, Albay province, the Philippines on Feb. 20, 2023. (Bureau of Fire Protection Camalig via AP) Searching for passengers of a Cessna 340 aircraft with registry number RP-C2080 at Tumpa Gulley, Camalig town, Albay province, the Philippines on Feb. 20, 2023. (Bureau of Fire Protection Camalig via AP)
Share
MANILA, Philippines -

The wreckage of a small plane carrying two Filipino pilots and two Australian passengers was identified Tuesday on one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes, officials said.

An aerial search found no sign of those aboard the Cessna 340, which crashed into a gully on the slope of Mayon volcano in Albay province, where it went missing after taking off Saturday enroute to Manila, aviation officials said.

"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," the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said. It said investigators spotted the wreckage after three failed aerial searches Tuesday morning due to thick clouds.

Only the tail section of the plane remained intact, said Eric Apolonio, spokesperson of the civil aviation agency.

The Australians were working as consultants for Energy Development Corp., a large geothermal power company. The company said it has deployed teams backed by helicopters and drones to help in the search.

Mayor Carlos Baldo of Camalig town said four teams of government personnel and volunteers, including mountaineers with satellite phones, began scaling the 8,077-foot (2,462-metre) volcano on Tuesday morning after the weather cleared. They should be able to reach the crash site on Wednesday, he said.

"It's a difficult mission," said Baldo, who is overseeing the search and rescue, citing Mayon's restiveness, steep slope and the fickle weather.

Villagers are normally prohibited from entering a permanent danger zone 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) around Mayon, which last erupted in 2018, displacing tens of thousands of residents. But the government's volcano monitoring agency allowed the search for the plane.

Security has also become a concern after two soldiers helping in the search were fatally shot Monday by five suspected communist New People's Army guerrillas in a market where they were buying supplies, military officials said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A Manitoba man convicted of murder 50 years ago has been acquitted. Clarence Woodhouse was found guilty in 1974 of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg.

An Ontario child has died after coming in contact with a rabid bat, a health official confirmed on Wednesday.

Local Spotlight

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.

On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.