A Philippine military aircraft carrying troops crashed in the Philippines' south on Sunday, killing 42 people on board and three residents on the ground, with five still missing, the Department of National Defense said.
About 50 others were rescued and transported for medical treatment after the Philippine Air Force C-130 transport plane carrying over 90 people, including pilots and other crew members, crashed on Jolo Island in Sulu Province, according to local media.
Local reports said the plane crashed and burst into flames several kilometers from the Jolo airport after attempting to land. The aircraft was carrying army personnel from the capital Manila to Jolo via Mindanao Island in the south.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he ordered a full investigation into the crash as soon as the rescue and recovery operation is completed.
The ill-fated plane had been delivered by the United States under a military aid program earlier this year.
Jolo is one of the areas in the country's restive south where the Abu Sayyaf militant group operates. The group is linked to many kidnappings and bombings in the region.
The troops aboard the plane were being ferried for deployment to the troubled region. The military has cast doubt on the possibility that the aircraft may have come under fire.
A Philippine Air Force utility helicopter crashed during a nighttime training flight in June, killing six people on board.
