Mayor Carlos Baldo of Camalig town in Albay said that emergency responders are having a hard time in bringing down the remains of the four plane crash victims in the slopes of Mayon Volcano.
Baldo said that veteran mountaineers have carried the victims several meters down the steep slopes of the active volcano. The mountaineers hope to bring the bodies in an area where it can be lifted by the Philippine Air Force.
“Kailangan ibaba pa kasi iyong chopper hindi puwede above 4,000 feet. Delikado po,” Baldo told ABS-CBN News.
The mayor said that bad weather conditions also hamper the retrieval operations.
“Kung gumanda po ang panahon, baka abutin pa ito mga 3 days kasi ibababa. ‘Pag gabi hindi naman makagalaw na po iyong chopper natin, the next day naman po ‘yan. Pero siyempre, depende pa rin po talaga sa sitwasyon sa itaas at sa panahon,” Baldo said.
The Cessna 340 plane was reported missing on February 18 after taking off from Bicol International Airport enroute to Manila.
The victims also included two Australians on board.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said that the plane’s wreckage can be found on the western part of Mayon Volcano.
“It’s very difficult terrain. It’s steep and there are ridges where only one person can climb at a time,” Albay disaster officer Cedric Daep earlier said.
