Plane catches fire at Manila airport; all 8 aboard killed

The plane was carrying six Filipino crew members and the American and Canadian passengers and was bound for Tokyo on a medical mission when it caught fire near the end of the main runway.

A plane carrying eight people, including an American and a Canadian, burst into flames Sunday while attempting to take off from Manila’s airport on a flight bound for Japan, killing all those on board, officials said.

In this handout photo provided by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Media Affairs Office, the remains of a Lion Air, West Wind 24 aircraft lies along the runway after it caught fire during take off at Manila's International Airport in Philippines late Sunday March 29, 2020. (AP)

The plane, which was carrying six Filipino crew members and the American and Canadian passengers, was bound for Tokyo on a medical mission when it caught fire near the end of the main runway, Manila airport general manager Ed Monreal said.

Firetrucks and rescue personnel rushed and doused the aircraft with foam to try to extinguish the flames, he said.

“Unfortunately, there were no survivors,” Monreal told a late-night news conference.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the Agusta WW24 aircraft apparently encountered an unspecified “technical problem” as it rolled to take off.

Video footage shows the aircraft engulfed in bright-orange flames in the darkness as firefighters scramble to put out the fire by spraying chemical foam while sirens blare.

Nearly three hours after the accident, the bodies of the victims were still inside the wreckage. Airport authorities were waiting for police investigators to examine the crash scene before retrieving the remains, Monreal said.