Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 26) — Responders are having difficulty lowering the retrieved remains of the four Cessna plane crash victims in Albay due to bad weather conditions and Mayon Volcano’s treacherous terrain, Camalig Mayor Caloy Baldo said Sunday.
On their descent, responders are struggling to carry the four retrieved bodies due to the unfavorable weather and the steep and slippery terrain of Mayon,” Baldo said in a Facebook post.The incident management team has suggested for 20 responders to relay down each body for 200 to 300 meters, according to the local chief executive. Aerial rescue teams will then collect the bodies as soon as they find a safe landing area.Considering the circumstances, Baldo said the mission to lower the bodies of the victims from the slope of the volcano may take another two to three days.
It has been a week since Camalig local authorities located the crash site of the Cessna plane that was reported missing on Feb. 18.
“More or less 650 brave and decisive individuals are already involved in what is considered to be one of Albay’s greatest challenges,” he said.
The victims were pilot Capt. Rufino James T. Crisostomo Jr., crew Joel G. Martin, and two Australian passengers, Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santana — employees and consultants of local geothermal firm Energy Development Corporation (EDC).Eduardo Jimenez, corporate relations chief of EDC, said the company is prepared to provide all logistics requirements of the incident management team, including aerial support, to get the victims’ remains down from Mayon.
