TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) — The local government of Naval, the capital town of Biliran province has requested the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) here for an aerial survey to locate the site of a reported private plane crash that happened around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday at town’s Imelda village.
Naval mayor Susan Parilla, who is currently at Imelda village supervising rescue groups, made the request because responders are finding it difficult to locate the area due to the very thick forest cover, according to executive assistant Yolanda Opeña.
Naval information officer Jerome D. Pitao in a communication with their disaster reduction management officer in the area said that there was no sighting of the plane but he was informed that fuel could be smelled from where the rescue groups are currently stationed.
He said that they have also placed a call with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) based here in Tacloban asking for information. The CAAP is still in the process of gathering details relative to the incident.
An initial report from the Biliran Police Provincial Office (BPPO) disclosed that it was Mayor Parilla herself who informed the Naval Police Station of the incident.
Police authorities along with members of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), search and rescue groups and Imelda barangay chairman Max Jutra immediately proceeded to the area to verify the reported mishap.
Meantime, the provincial government of Biliran also responded led by its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Jun Basilio, according to Jun Oliva, the province’s tourism and information officer.
They are still waiting for feedback from the area, he added.
The reported crash site is around 30 kilometers away from the town proper of Naval. It is a mountainous area adjacent to the Culaba town and communication signal is very limited.