The C-130 military plane was transporting troops from Cagayan de Oro, in Mindanao, to Sulu province when it missed the runway on the island of Jolo, CNN affiliate CNN Philippines reported, citing Armed Forces Chief Cirilito Sobejana.
The plane, which was carrying more than 90 military personnel and crew, crashed into nearby Patikul village at 11:30 a.m. local time on Sunday (11:30 p.m. ET). It is unclear if there were casualties on the ground.
“Minutes after the crash, troops and civilian volunteers rushed to the site for search and rescue. Per eyewitnesses, a number of soldiers were seen jumping out of the aircraft before it hit the ground sparing them from from the explosion caused by the crash,” according to a press release by Joint Task Force Sulu.
Images from a local TV station appeared to show the burning wreck of the plane and thick smoke billowing from the village. A large…
