Four killed in plane crash in Philippines

Two Australian citizens and two locals died when a light aircraft crashed near the crater of an active volcano in the Philippines, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, Report informs via TASS.

"Search and rescue teams have reached the crash site in the Philippines. Unfortunately, there are no survivors," she said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, two employees of the Australian gas company Santos were among the four passengers on a Cessna 340A aircraft that took off from Bicol International Airport for Manila on February 18. An hour later, communication with the dispatchers was interrupted. The aircraft's wreckage was discovered three days later near the crater of the active Mayon volcano, located on the island of Luzon (Bicol region, Albay province).

The Philippine authorities organized a search operation, but its implementation was complicated because the aircraft's wreckage was near the eruption zone. More than 250 emergency and military personnel were mobilized for this.