Rescuers in high-risk volcano search for crashed Philippine plane
Rescue workers in the Philippines are climbing an active volcano in a “very risky operation” to reach the wreckage of a small plane that crashed over the weekend with four people on board, officials said.
The four, including two Australians, were flying in a Cessna 340 aircraft when it went missing on Saturday morning after taking off for Manila from Bicol International Airport in the central province of Albay, several kilometres from Mount Mayon volcano.
Civil aviation investigators on board a reconnaissance flight on Tuesday confirmed that the wreckage of a plane spotted near the crater of the volcano was the missing Cessna.
It was not known if there are any survivors.
Manila-based Energy Development Corporation said previously that the missing plane belonged to the company. The two Australians were technical consultants for the renewable energy company.
Rain, clouds and the risk of a volcanic eruption have hampered efforts to reach the crash site over the weekend and on Monday.
Mayon is currently under the second of five volcano alert levels, meaning volcanic earthquakes, steam and gas emissions, ground deformation and intermittent ash and steam blasts have been sporadically detected. Alert five means a major and deadly volcanic eruption is under way.
Local media organisation GMA News said the crash site was located within the volcano’s “permanent danger zone (PDZ)”.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the plane was on the western slope of the volcano, about 3,500 to 4,000 feet (1,070 metres to 1,200 metres) above sea level. Mayon volcano is 2,462 metres (8,077 feet) high.
A high-resolution camera was used to positively identify the wreckage, CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said.
Attempts to lower rescue teams to the crash site by helicopter were aborted on Tuesday due to strong winds and cloud cover, officials said. Instead, search and rescue teams, including veteran mountaineers, began making the steep climb on foot.