SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews/4 November)— A Philippine Air Force Super Huey helicopter on a humanitarian mission to communities affected by Severe Tropical Storm Tino crashed Tuesday, November 4 near Loreto, Agusan del Sur.
In a statement posted in its social media page, the PAF said the helicopter “encountered an air mishap near the vicinity of the 60th Infantry Battalion (IB) at Agusan del Sur.”
“The aircraft was part of a flight of four helicopters that had departed from Davao to Butuan to conduct a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) mission. Communication with the helicopter was lost, which immediately prompted the launch of a search and rescue (SAR) operation,” the PAF statement said.
The statement had no mention of casualties, however.
“We are praying for the safety of the pilots and crew involved in this unfortunate mishap,” according to the statement.
The PAF said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
Social media vlogger Delmar Jay-ar Bantuasan II, a resident of Loreto town, captured the burnt aircraft with personal luggages still intact found a few meters from the crash site in Barangay Sabud.
“Wala mi kabalo sa number of dead people kay dili na jud ma klaro. (We don’t know how many were dead since we can’t ascertain it), Bantuasan said.
In a separate statement, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) confirmed that the aircraft was on a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) mission in support of ongoing relief operations for communities affected by Tropical Storm Tino in Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
Rescue and recovery operations were immediately launched, with EastMinCom coordinating closely with local emergency response teams in the area.
“The Command appeals for the public’s understanding, prayers, and cooperation as efforts to locate the crew continue,” EastMinCom said in a statement.
Further details on the number of crew members and the cause of the crash have yet to be released pending investigation. (Chris V. Panganiban with reports from JB R. Deveza/MindaNews)
