Bodies from crashed Chemtrad plane finally retrieved - police

Four days after the missing Chemtrad plane was found in Cagayan province, authorities said Monday that the bodies of the crash victims have finally been successfully been retrieved.

A report from Region 2 police said combined elements of Army’s 17tth Infantry Battalion, policemen from Baggao town, personnel from the Bureau and Fire Protection in Kalinga and volunteers successfully retrieved the remains of the seven crash victims from the 10-seater Islander RPC764 airplane.

The report said that the remains of the victims would be airlifted to Tuguegarao on Tuesday.Additional equipment and food supplies were airlifted and dropped to the crash site Monday to boost the retrieval team's operations.

Much-needed power tools were delivered to the crash site so that the team could retrieve bodies stuck inside the wrecked plane which went missing on April 2. Three investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and two embalmers were also brought to the site.

The plane took off from Tuguegarao carrying two pilots and five passengers on board, but failed to reach its destination in Maconacon town in Isabela province. The plane was spotted on April 15 in Baggao town, but rescue planes could not land immediately because of harsh weather and terrain.

Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, Philippine National Police Region 2 director and Regional Disaster Coordinating Council chairman earlier said they expect to airlift the first bodies on Monday afternoon or Tuesday if weather conditions permit.