8 killed as plane carrying medical crew & patient crashes in Manila airport (PHOTO, VIDEO)
A medical evacuation flight has crashed at Manila Airport in the Philippines, killing all on board. The IAI Westwind jet was reportedly chartered by the Philippine government to evacuate a sick patient to Tokyo.
The jet, which had the registration number RP-C5880, was scheduled to take off from Manilla’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 8pm on Sunday. Before making it off the tarmac, the plane caught fire, overshooting the runway as flames billowed from its wrecked hull. Fire crews extinguished the blaze within an hour.
#developing RP-C5880, an aircraft chartered by Philippine Department of Health, crash-landed/overshot the runway at MNL (NAIA). Reports say its carrying medical supplies. #COVID19#SARS_COV_2pic.twitter.com/peqgwiBJFl
— MikeGo (@MikeGo6671) March 29, 2020
WATCH: An aircraft reportedly carrying medical supplies caught on fire while it was about to take off at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) around 8 p.m. According to BFP, fire was already out at 9:02 p.m. @inquirerdotnet (Sourced video) pic.twitter.com/8w38t1qVTi
— Dexter Cabalza (@dexcabalzaINQ) March 29, 2020
According to local reporter Dexter Cabalza, the plane was carrying a crew of eight, including three medics and one patient. Airport authorities later confirmed that nobody on board survived.
No survivors | Plane carrying medical crew & patient crashes in #Manilapic.twitter.com/gu8brMWXtI
— RT (@RT_com) March 29, 2020
It is unknown whether the patient was infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Lion Air Plane RPC 5880Caught fire and exploded at the NAIA Runway 24 while taking off. Itinerary: Tokyo, HanedaMsn: MedevacPassengers:1 flight med1 nurse1 doctor3 flight crew (2 pilots, 1 crew)1 patient1 patient asst.
— Eugene Bautista (@Tleilaxu_Mentat) March 29, 2020
Lion Air just crashed at NAIAAn aircraft, reportedly carrying medical supplies, caught on fire at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.The aircraft is a IAI1124A Westwind, registered RP-C5880. It was one of the aircraft chartered by the Department of Health (DOH)(CTTO) pic.twitter.com/dHtuHRDUAS
— GBert Rufila Tongo (@GBertTongo) March 29, 2020
Prior to its tragic crash, the jet made a series of jaunts carrying medical supplies around the islands of the Philippines, and made trips further afield to Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. A photo published on the Department of Health’s facebook page earlier this week showed healthcare officials loading the plane with boxes of supplies.
Flightradar24 data regarding the accident involving RP-C5880 in Manila. https://t.co/IB8YPGx3Sipic.twitter.com/T6nsbsG8EP
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 29, 2020
The Philippines has recorded 1,418 cases of Covid-19 so far. The country’s health ministry said on Sunday that 343 new cases were confirmed overnight, marking the country’s largest daily increase in infections since the virus spread there in January. 71 people have died of the disease.
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