Chopper crashes in Bulacan; 2 die

Aprivate chopper crashed on a fishpond in Barangay Anilao, Malolos City, Bulacan, past noon Thursday, killing two people on board, the local police and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said.

A report from the Malolos City police said the two fatalities are both male and they died at the crash site. The third passenger was taken to the hospital due to serious injuries.

“PRC dispatched an ambulance and a medical team and coordinated with local authorities. The team immediately provided first aid and CPR to affected passengers,” PRC wrote in a Twitter post.

As of press time, the local police and rescuers are still looking for the other possible passengers at the crash site in Barangay Anilao.

The local police are now coordinating

with proper authorities for the investigation on the cause of the chopper crash.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) confirmed the crash but declined to name the three passengers.

CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said the helicopter, owned and operated by LGC Air Transport, was bound for San Fernando, Pampanga.

Based on the report, the helicopter crash-landed at 12:47 p.m.

CAAP Director General Capt. Jim Sydiongco immediately dispatched Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board (AAIIB) investigators, headed by chief investigator Rainier Baculinao, to the crash site.

According to the initial reports, the three passengers were immediately taken to the Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos, where two of them died. (With a report from Ariel Fernandez)