10 bodies recovered after small plane crashes in Bulacan residential area

MANILA, Philippines — (Updated 5:40 p.m.) A light plane reportedly crash-landed in a residential area in Plaridel, Bulacan Saturday, killing at least 10 people.

According to reports, the fatal accident happened after a six-seater Piper PA-23 Apache, which took off from a small nearby airport, hit a utility pole and crashed into a house where a family was having lunch.

Media said 10 bodies have so far been recovered from the crash site. Five of the fatalities were the people on board the plane while the other five were members of the family living in the house where the light aircraft tragically plummeted into.

The small plane, which was bound for Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, was operated by Lite Air Express, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said, adding that the all of the operator’s aircraft were grounded pending investigations.

As of posting time, retrieval operations are still ongoing. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral