Push Admin

Rains 'intense' when air-ambulance crashed in Laguna; 9 killed - police

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tD_hGxZ5FPk?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - &quot;Intense&quot; rains were lashing Laguna province when an air-ambulance plane crashed at a resort area over the weekend, sparking a fierce blaze and leaving 9 people dead, authorities said Monday. <br/> <br/>Dramatic video on social media showed emergency vehicles rushing toward a building engulfed in roaring flames in Barangay, Calamba City near Manila as authorities urged crowds to move away for their own safety on Sunday.</p><p>After dousing the blaze, rescuers found 9 bodies in the smoking ruins -- believed to be those aboard the King Air 350 light aircraft.</p><p>&quot;Napakalakas po ng ulan during that time... Napakahirap nga din mag-provide ng report kasi noong time na iyun, ang buhos ng ulan intense po,&quot; Laguna police chief Col. Eleazar Mata tld radio DZMM. </p><p>(The rains was very heavy that time. It&#x27;s also very difficult to provide a report because at time, the rain was intense.) </p><p>A low pressure area east of Mindanao intensified into tropical depression <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/19/liwayway-stirs-monsoon-rains">Liwayway</a> on Sunday, the same day that tropical depression <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/01/19/lpa-off-cagayan-now-tropical-depression-kabayan-pagasa">Kabayan</a>, spotted west of Luzon, left the Philippine area of responsibility, said state weather bureau PAGASA. </p><p>The air ambulance was supposed to bring a patient and a medical team to Manila from Dipolog City when it crashed, said Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolinario. </p><p>Authorities are investigating reports that one wing of the aircraft burst into flames before it crashed, added Apolinario, who declined to name the fatalities. </p><div><strong>RESIDENTS SCRAMBLE FOR COVER </strong></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This video shows the destroyed sections of the resorts. The plane crash caused fire as soon as it made impact. Two persons were injured. <a href="https://t.co/13yvc7tOjI">pic.twitter.com/13yvc7tOjI</a></p>— Kevin Manalo (@kevinmanalo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinmanalo_/status/1168228501041729536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>The aircraft circled over resort and residential establishments for almost 30 minutes before it plummeted onto Borres and Agojo resorts in Narra Street, said residents Haser Paminiano and Magno Quiño. </p><p>&quot;Parang may kuryente sa pakpak, &#x27;di ko sure na may kidlat,” Paminiano told ABS-CBN News. <br/> <br/>&quot;Umuusok pa nga e... Naawa ako [sa mga pasahero], hindi ko sila matulungan dahil di ako ganun kalakas,&quot; he added. </p><p>(It was as if there was electricity on the wing, I wasn&#x27;t sure if there was lightning then. It was smoking. I pitied the passengers because I couldn&#x27;t help them.) </p><p>Quiño said he ran around, warning neighbors to run for shelter. </p><p>“Narinig namin ang ugong ng airplane tapos maya-maya pumutok na siya... Syempre natatakot na hindi mo alam saan babagsak &#x27;yun eh,&quot; he said. </p><p>(We heard a hum from the plane, it exploded a short while after. We were afraid because we did not know where it would crash.) </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Currently, the victims are recovering at a nearby hospital. They suffered burns but are conscious, staff from Calamba Doctors Hospital said. <a href="https://t.co/d2SROkDUYA">pic.twitter.com/d2SROkDUYA</a></p>— Kevin Manalo (@kevinmanalo_) <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinmanalo_/status/1168228992417067008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2019</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Among those killed were pilot Capt. Jesus Hernandez, co-pilot First Officer Lino Cruz Jr., Dr. Garret Garcia, nurses Kirk Eoin Badilla and Yamato Togawa, patient Tom Carr and his wife Erma, and 2 others namely Ryx Gil Laput and Raymond Bulacja, said police. </p><p>Police earlier said a mother and her son, who are the caretakers of a resort, were injured in the crash and rushed to hospital. Authorities have not reported any fatalities from those who were in the resort area when the plane went down.</p><p>The area where the plane crashed is home to numerous resorts that are packed with visitors during the hottest months.</p><p>Deadly light aircraft crashes are not unusual in the Philippines, where small planes are used to hop between the archipelago&#x27;s numerous islands. </p><p>Ten people were killed in March 2018 when a <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/17/18/10-dead-in-bulacan-plane-crash">plane went down</a> after take off in Plaridel, Bulacan, which is near Manila. <strong>With reports from Agence France-Presse; Kevin Manalo, ABS-CBN News </strong></p>

<p>The air ambulance was supposed to bring a patient and a medical team to Manila from Dipolog City when it crashed, said Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolinario. <br /> </p>

The air ambulance was supposed to bring a patient and a medical team to Manila from Dipolog City when it crashed, said Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolinario.