The search and rescue teams deployed by the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) are currently on the ground about one kilometer away from the crash site.
“As of this morning, they were about a kilometer away. But you know the terrain is tough. If you’ve seen the pictures, its very steep, it’s all rocky, loose, very hard, even if you’re only a kilometer away, it’s very hard to get to,” said EDC Chairman Federico Lopez on Wednesday during the 4th Philippine Environment Summit.
As of press time, there is no word yet from the rescue teams if they have reached the site of the Cessna 340 that went missing shortly after it took off from the Bicol International Airport at 6:45 a.m. last Saturday.
“So there’s a safety issue also on the part of the rescuers. They have to make sure to they do it right given that Mayon is at alert level 2 and they have to make sure they have the right route too because it’s subject to flash floods.
So they’re being very careful. Finally, they were able to get through. Teams were dropped. Now they are making their way on land. So far no word yet that they’ve reached the site,” added Lopez.
The aircraft was piloted by Captain Rufino James Crisostomo Jr. and Joel Martin with passengers Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santanan, both Australian citizens and technical consultants of EDC. The company has already informed their respective families and is constantly in touch with them.
“We’re hoping that it’s still a search and rescue not search and recovery. We’re still hoping that we can find survivors but it’s been, happened over the weekend, tough weather and you see the shape of the plane but we’re still hopeful that there’s a miracle and that prayers that there will be [survivors] but also we’re very conscious of the safety of the rescuers,” he said.
EDC is working closely with the local government unit of Camalig, Albay.
Responders from Camalig’s Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Committee, the Philippine Army, Bureau of Fire Protection, and EDC have been deployed through two search and rescue teams.
“Our primary concern is the swift and safe rescue of our four colleagues who were onboard the aircraft. We are thankful to Mayor Carlos Baldo for mobilizing his team to help us do this,” said Atty. Allan V. Barcena, Assistant Vice President and head of Corporate Relations and Communications at EDC.
The company is likewise working in full force with its Emergency Response Teams (ERT) from its Bacon Manito (BacMan) geothermal facility in Bicol as well as its ERT from its Leyte, Negros, and Mount Apo geothermal facilities.