iscover
Two South Australian men are feared dead after it emerged they were onboard a Cessna 340A that crashed just 350 metres from the crater of an active volcano in the Philippines.
The men, identified as Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam, are believed to be consultants of the Philippines geothermal energy company Energy Development Corporation (EDC). They were two of four onboard, including pilot Rufino James Crisostomo Jr and crew member Joel Martin.
The aircraft took off from Bicol International Airport – which serves Legazpi, the capital city of the province of Albay – on Saturday morning.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Monday it was aware of reports authorities had lost contact with the aircraft.
“The Australian Embassy is in contact with local authorities, and DFAT officials are providing consular assistance to the families of two Australians reported to be missing,” it said.
“Our thoughts are with their families, friends and loved ones at this difficult time.”
Rescue efforts are underway, with some of the wreckage of the aircraft spotted in a tree.
However, the nearby Mayon Volcano is currently under “alert level 2”, which is hampering the search efforts involving more than 200 people.
In its latest update on Monday evening, the Philippine Information Agency said two helicopters are waiting for the weather to clear before they can assist with the operation.
Allan Barcena, assistant vice president at EDC, said, “Our primary concern is the swift and safe rescue of our four colleagues who were on board the aircraft. We are thankful to (Camalig) Mayor (Irwin) Baldo for mobilising his team to help us do this.”
The two men are long-time former employees of Australian gas producer Santos, which said the pair had many friends and colleagues working at their Adelaide and Brisbane offices.
“Representatives from the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) have been arranged to be on-site in both our Adelaide and Brisbane offices during this difficult time,” Santos said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with Simon and Karthi’s families and loved ones.”
More to follow…
