Hong Kong (CNN) Authorities in the Southeast Asian country confirmed Thursday that the four people on board a light aircraft that crashed in the Philippines at the weekend, following a treacherous search mission over a restive volcano, have been killed.
The bodies of Rufino pilot James Crisostomo Jr., crew member Joel Martin, and Australian technical advisors Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam, were found in the Mount Mayon volcano and a team has been working to recover them, affiliated with CNN. CNN Philippines reported, citing Camalig Mayor Carlos Erwin Baldo.
The four men were all employees of Energy Development Corp., a geothermal company based in Manila, according to Richard Tantuku, its president and chief operating officer.
“Our heartfelt sympathies are with their families and friends during this difficult time,” Tantukuo said in a statement.
Six-seater Cessna 340 It was heading to the capital, Manila, when it lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday after it left Bicol International Airport in Albay province, according to the Philippine Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP).
The wreckage of the plane occurred at an altitude of about 6,000 feet (1,823 metres) on Sunday. But rainy conditions, landslide risks and a “moderate” level of volcanic unrest have complicated the search effort, according to CAAP.
The league said an investigation into the incident was underway.
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