Search Continue for Unidentified Aircraft in Suspected Crash in Sultan Kudarat

General Santos City (PNA) — Government teams will resume on Monday morning the search and rescue operations for a suspected aircraft that was believed to have crashed Sunday noon in a mountainous area near Esperanza town in Sultan Kudarat.

Capt. Joanne Petinglay, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the joint search and rescue team that was dispatched on Sunday afternoon have yet to reach the crash site, which was believed be within the upland portions of Esperanza and Senator Ninoy Aquino towns.

The team, which included troops from the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion, temporarily called off the search at past 11 p.m. Sunday after scouring several villages in the area.

Petinglay clarified that they could not yet confirm whether the reported crash involved an aircraft or an airplane.

“It’s not yet definite whether it was an aircraft. It was not a military plane and we have not received reports of any missing private plane and commercial airliner in the area,” she said in a radio interview.

She said they are looking at the possibility that the crash could have involved a spacecraft of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.

Petinglay said they will mobilize anew their air assets to assist the ground personnel leading the search operations.

The municipal government of Esperanza dispatched a search and rescue team to the town’s upland areas, specifically in portions of the Daguma mountain range, following a reported crash of an unidentified aircraft near the area.

The aircraft was initially believed to be an airplane but local officials said they could not make any confirmation on the matter.

Esperanza Mayor Helen Latog said she received a report from village residents that they witnessed an aircraft crashing near the area at past 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Reports said two loud explosions were heard in parts of the area prior and during the reported crash.

Chief Insp. Esmund Lamanzares, Esperanza police chief, said Monday they have not yet found the crash site and debris from any aircraft in any part of their town.

He clarified that residents have not actually seen any aircraft or object crashing into the mountains but just heard loud explosions.

“We can’t confirm anything as of the moment. We don’t know if there was really a crash since we did not find any crash site or debris,” he said.

He added that the search and rescue team is currently scouring parts of Barangay Salumping in Esperanza and the neighboring areas.(PNA) FFC/AVE