No reports yet of Pinoys affected in Philadelphia plane crash — PH consulate

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Consulate General in New York said that it has not received any verified information about Filipinos being affected by the plane crash in Philadelphia, where a small jet with six people onboard crashed into a busy suburb.

The consulate said on Friday (Saturday, February 1, Philippine time) that it is actively monitoring the situation to determine if any Filipinos were involved.

“As of now, we have not received any confirmed reports of Filipinos impacted by the incident,” the consulate said in a statement posted on Facebook.

"The Consulate is in touch with Filipino community organizations and local authorities to determine if any Filipino nationals were among those affected," it added.

It assured the public that assistance will be provided to any Filipinos who may require support in the area.

The aircraft, a Learjet 55 executive plane used to transport medical patients, crashed into the densely populated district of the city, which is packed with homes, shops and busy roads.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said that there were no reports on the number of fatalities, adding that several homes and vehicles were affected.

The crash in the city on the US East Coast came just two days after a passenger jet and military helicopter collided off Washington's Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people in the deadliest US air disaster in almost a quarter century, which also claimed the life of a Filipino police officer.

US President Donald Trump on Friday took to his Truth Social platform to say he was "sad" to see "more souls lost" in the Philadelphia tragedy, praising first responders and adding: "God Bless you all." — with reports by Agence-France Presse