This archive report was first published on 4 July 2021.
On July 4, 2021, a Philippine military aircraft carrying troops crashed and burst into flames after missing the runway in the country's south, killing at least 45 people and injuring dozens.
The C-130 Hercules transport plane was trying to land on Jolo island in Sulu province when it overshot the landing strip and broke into two, according to initial reports.
Major General William Gonzales, commander of the Joint Task Force-Sulu, said some of the soldiers were seen jumping out of the plane before it hit the ground and exploded into flames.
Among the dead were 42 soldiers and three civilians, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Forty-nine military personnel and four civilians were also injured and taken to hospital.
Photos of the crash site released by the Joint Task Force-Sulu showed the damaged tail and the smoking wreckage of the fuselage's back section laying near coconut trees.
Armed Forces Chief General Cirilito Sobejana said the aircraft was carrying troops from Cagayan de Oro on the southern island of Mindanao when it
