CNN is reporting that an F27 has crashed on take of into Manilla Bay. Tragically some Australians are believed to be amoung the dead. The pilot and co pilot are reported to have survived.
Earlier MSN reported
- Six Australians were among 34 people aboard the domestic flight which failed to gain altitude after takeoff and crashed into Manila Bay, officials said.
Up to 17 survivors were plucked from the water after the Fokker aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff for the northern Philippine city of Laoag.
The plane broke in two and sank in about eight to 10 metres of water, where divers searched for those still missing.
The dead comprised four children and a 50-year-old man, according to an initial official listing of the casualties at the rescue site, Agence France Presse reported. Other agencies said the death toll was three.
One of the survivors, 25-year-old Steve Thompson of Australia, told radio stations that he saw smoke coming from the left side of the plane just before the pilot came on the intercom to tell passengers to brace for impact.
