4 bodies found at Cessna crash site

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — A search and rescue team has found the bodies of two pilots and two Australian passengers of a Cessna plane that crashed on Mayon Volcano in Camalig, Albay on Saturday morning, according to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office.

APSEMO chief Cedric Daep yesterday said the bodies were identified as plane pilot Capt. Rufino James Crisostomo Jr. and his assistant Joel Martin, and Australians Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam, both technical consultants of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC).

Daep refused to confirm reports that the bodies were mutilated.

Camalig Mayor Carlos Baldo confirmed that the remains of the victims were found, but not inside the plane.

Daep said he is more concerned with how the bodies would be brought down by the rescue team as the crash site is too steep.

“It is a challenge for our rescue team to bring down the bodies. Anoling Gully is a treacherous terrain. There are areas there where only one person can pass through at a time,” Daep said.

In these narrow openings, rescuers have to slide down in order not to fall into the cliffs, he added.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)  said another team would climb to the wreckage site through another route.

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said the team would start from a radar station of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology with the help of a local guide.

EDC condoles with families

The Lopez-led EDC has condoled with the families of the pilots and passengers of the Cessna RP-C2080.

“We mourn the passing of our dear colleagues, Capt. Rufino James Crisostomo Jr., Joel Martin, Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam,” EDC president and chief operating officer Richard Tantoco said in a statement yesterday. “Our heartfelt sympathies go to their families and friends during this difficult time.”

Tantoco said the local government has reclassified the rescue efforts into a retrieval mission.

“With deepest gratitude, we thank the efforts of all the rescuers from the government as well as the civilian volunteers and the EDC emergency response teams from across the country,” he said.

Early this week, Australian Ambassador HK Yu said the embassy has been coordinating with local authorities regarding the incident that killed two of their citizens.

Australia‘s departments of foreign affairs and trade  have provided assistance to the families of Chipperfield and Santhanam. – Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Richmond Mercurio, Rudy Santos