Firemen and rescuers talk beside the remains of a Lion Air, West Wind 24 aircraft after it caught fire during take off at Manila's International Airport in Philippines on Sunday, March 29, 2020. A plane carrying eight people has caught fire while attempting to take off from Manila's airport on a flight bound for Japan, killing all those on board, officials said.
A plane carrying eight people, including an American and a Canadian, burst into flames Sunday while attempting to take off from Manila’s airport on a flight bound for Japan, killing all those on board, officials said.
The plane, which was carrying six Filipino crew members and the American and Canadian passengers, was bound for Tokyo on a medical mission when it caught fire near the end of the main runway, Manila airport general manager Ed Monreal said.
Firetrucks and rescue personnel rushed and doused the aircraft with foam to try to extinguish the flames, he said.
"Unfortunately, there were no survivors," Monreal told a late-night news conference.
He declined to identify the victims until their families were informed and said other details about the flight and the passengers were unclear.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the Agusta WW24 aircraft apparently encountered an unspecified “technical problem” as it rolled to take off.
Video footage shows the aircraft engulfed in bright-orange flames in the darkness as firefighters scramble to put out the fire by spraying chemical foam while sirens blare.
Nearly three hours after the accident, the bodies of the victims were still inside the wreckage. Airport authorities were waiting for police investigators to examine the crash scene before retrieving the remains, Monreal said.
The airport's main runway was closed due to the accident. The airport had only minimal staff due to air travel restrictions that are part of a monthlong lockdown imposed by the government in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, where Manila, the capital, lies, to fight the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.
A Korean Airlines flight bound for Manila was diverted to Clark International Airport, north of Manila, due to the incident, Monreal said, adding that the main runway would be reopened as soon as the wreckage was removed.
Donaldo Mendoza, the deputy chief of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the aircraft was deemed “airworthy” based on records and its pilots were properly certified to fly.
The plane had flown to central Iloilo province Saturday to deliver medical supplies without any incident, Mendoza said.
