DAVAO CITY — The government has stopped the retrieval operations at the crash site of the ill-fated lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft as the 96 passengers have been accounted.
The July 4, 2021, tragedy in Barangay Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu, killed 49 soldiers, three (2) civilians having 47 wounded military survivors and four civilians.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night visited the soldiers at Western Mindanao Command hospital and the wake of the fatalities at Tangan Gym.
Of the 49 fatalities, eight (8)have been buried in accordance to the Muslims rites.
According to Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Cirilito Sobejana, the aircraft was about to land but it missed the runway of Jolo Airport, prompting the pilot to power up but failed which resulted to the crash.
The 96 passengers consist three pilots, five crew and the rest were fresh graduates who were bound for their first assignment in Jolo as the government run after the terrorist groups in the area.
The soldiers ever took ‘selfies’ and sending photos to their loved one’s as they were about to board the aircraft and even managed to do a ‘groufie’ inside the ill-fated chopper.
A survivor, who refused to be identified told Newsline “I jumped from the C-130 with my batchmates, because were were at the tail end of the aircraft.”
The July 4 incident was the worst in the history of C-130 in the Philippines duringteh last three decades.
it was also the third air accident for the year.
The first was on January 16, 2021, in Nahigit, Barangay Bulonay, Impasugong town in the province of Bukidnon. Six soldiers were killed.
On June 23, 2021, a 270i Blackhawk combat utility helicopter crashed in Crow Valley Tarlac, which claimed six lives.
