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Military plane crash in Philippines leaves 45 dead, 49 people rescued

Philippines Military Plance Crash
Posted at 8:02 AM, Jul 04, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-04 18:20:35-04

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine military says at least 45 people have been killed and 49 rescued after a C-130 aircraft carrying combat troops crashed while landing.

Sunday's crash near Jolo airport in the southern Sulu province killed 42 army soldiers on board and three civilians on the ground.

Officials said some soldiers were seen jumping off the aircraft before it crashed and exploded around noon.

The military said only five soldiers remained unaccounted for late Sunday.

A regional military commander says it's unlikely the aircraft took hostile fire. He cited witnesses as saying the plane apparently overshot the runway, then crashed on the periphery of the airport.