A military plane with 92 people aboard crashed in the southern Philippines as it was trying to land, reported Reuters.

The incident took place on July 4, 2021.

Philippines Defence Minister Delfin Lorenzana told Reuters that those onboard included three pilots and five other crew members.

Armed forces chief Cirilito Sobejana said that at least 40 people had been rescued, and recovery operations are still ongoing.

At time of writing, 17 bodies have been found and the death toll is expected to increase, according to New York Times.

The plane was carrying soldiers

The C-130 aircraft was carrying soldiers who were being deployed to fight Muslim extremists in the southern Philippines, The Straits Times added.

The plane had picked up troops who had been on a training course at Cagayan de Oro.

Photos of the plane in flames have reportedly been circulating on social media.

Previous incidents

New York Times reported that two months ago, a military helicopter crashed in central Philippines, killing its pilot.

In January, a refurbished UH-1H Vietnam War-era Huey helicopter also crashed in the southern region of the country, killing seven soldiers.

Top photos by Serzill Hasan/Unsplash for illustration purposes.