Philippine Coast Guard reported three foreigners, and a Filipino were rescued after a private plane made an emergency landing at Barangay Sinunuc in Zamboanga City on Tuesday morning.
The Piper PA-34 Seneca plane was already submerged in the water, about six feet deep and six meters away from the shoreline when the rescuers arrived at the scene, PCG said.
The report added the Indian pilot and three passengers, who are Filipino, Indian and Nepali, are all in good condition.
The rescuers transported them to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) office in Zamboanga City for further assistance and investigation of the incident.
Initial investigation revealed the private plane was bound for Dumaguete City and took off from Zamboanga Airport at 9:30 am. The Indian pilot said the aircraft started to have engine failures just minutes after takeoff.
CAAP’s incident report meanwhile said a training aircraft with call sign RP-C834 from Dumaguete-based flying school, Royhle Aviation Academy, Inc., landed near the sea wall of Sinunuc Boulevard in Zamboanga City at 9:45 am on Tuesday, July 7.
“The four persons on board have been retrieved from the aircraft and incurred no injuries,” CAAP said.
CAAP notified and ordered the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) investigators to help determine the cause of the incident.
The Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) of the Coast District – Southwestern Mindanao meanwhile deployed an oil spill boom since the plane was on a full tank when it left the airport.
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Doctor, nurses tested positive for COVID-19 in Quezon province
The number of COVID-19 victims in Quezon province has increased again. In just two days, 11 new cases were recorded.
According to the Integrated Provincial Health Office of Quezon, among those positive for COVID-19 are a doctor and five nurses from the town of Atimonan, Quezon.
The local government is currently conducting contact tracing in town.
In total, there are 33 active cases of COVID-19 in the province out of 180 infected. Those who recovered were 133, and 11 lost their lives to the coronavirus.