Nine people were killed when an air-ambulance plane crashed at a resort area near the Philippine capital on Sunday, sparking a fierce blaze and sending terrified locals fleeing, authorities said.
After dousing the blaze, rescuers found nine bodies in the smoking ruins — believed to be those aboard the King Air 350 light aircraft.
“No one will survive this crash. We assume that all confirmed passengers of this plane are dead,” local emergency official Jeffrey Rodriguez told AFP.
Police said two people on the ground were injured in the crash and rushed to the hospital, but have not reported any fatalities from those who were in the resort area when the plane went down.
Philippine aviation authorities said the plane was carrying a patient and medical team from the nation’s south to Manila when it disappeared from radar about 25 nautical miles (46 kilometres) from the capital.
The area where the plane crashed is home to numerous resorts that are packed with visitors during the hottest months.
