The Philippine Search And Rescue Team Gambles With Death, Climbs An Active Volcano To Find Cesna Plane That Crashed

Mayon Volcano (Photo by Cojo Rosales on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Philippine rescue team started climbing the active volcano on Tuesday 21 February. This is a death-defying operation to reach the wreckage of the small plane that crashed last weekend.

There were four people on board the plane. Including two Australians, who were on board the Cessna 340 when it disappeared last Saturday 18 February morning after taking off for Manila from Bicol International Airport in the central province of Albay, several kilometers from the Mayon volcano.

Civil aviation investigators who carried out the flight confirmed the debris seen on the volcano was the plane they were looking for. Not yet known whether there are survivors or not.

Manila-based Energy Development Company said earlier that the missing plane belonged to the company. Australia is a technical consultant for a renewable energy company.

Rain, clouds, and the risk of an eruption have hampered efforts to reach the crash site.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the plane was on the west side of the volcano, about "3,500 to 4,000 feet" (1,070 m to 1,200 m) above sea level.

High-resolution cameras were used to identify the wreckage, said CAAP spokesman Eric Apollonio, reported by Channel News Asia, Tuesday 21 February.

Attempts to drop rescue teams to the crash site by helicopter were called off on Tuesday due to strong winds and cloud cover, officials said.

Instead, the search and rescue team, including veteran mountain climbers, began making the steep climb on foot.

They are expected to camp overnight and reach the crash site on Wednesday, said Carlos Baldo, mayor of the municipality of Camalig.

Mayon is the country's most active volcano and last erupted in 2018, spewing tons of ash, rock, and lava. Access to the slopes is restricted.