LEGAZPI CITY, Albay -- At least 185 responders are now in Barangay Quirangay and other priority areas in Camalig town, Albay province to conduct a search and rescue operation for a Cessna 340A light plane that went missing on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Camalig Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo said that they were divided into four teams composed of personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Energy Development Corp. (EDC) BacMan to maximize the coverage of the operation.
The operation was conducted after the plane went missing on Saturday afternoon after leaving the Bicol International Airport (BIA) in Camalig for Metro Manila but was halted at night due to bad weather, Baldo said.
The plane was unresponsive and missing for almost 24 hours now. It was piloted by Capt. Rufino James T. Crisostomo Jr. and had mechanic Joel G. Martin and two Australian passengers, Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santanan.
Baldo said that a resident of Purok 7 in Barangay Quirangay reported that she was alerted by a loud bang following the sighting of the aircraft.
Barangay Quirangay is situated at the foot of Mayon Volcano.
France Loyola, EDC public relations specialist, confirmed that all the occupants of the aircraft are connected with the EDC.
"Medical teams from the Municipal Health Office (MHO) and other responders from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), LGU-Guinobatan, and Philippine Army will also be deployed on the ground. Apart from the current manpower, the group is set to utilize drones with thermal camera and search and rescue dogs," Baldo said.
This was the second Cessna plane missing in less than a month following that in Isabela on Jan. 24.