Eleven people pronounced dead at scene of air crash in Philippines

A LIGHT aircraft crashed into a school near Manila yesterday, killing 11 people on the ground and two people on board.

It is believed the pilot told air traffic controllers shortly after take-off that his twin-engined Beechcraft Queen Air plane had to make an emergency landing after leaving the island capital’s airport for Mindoro Island.

The plane crashed before it was able to return to the airport, bursting into flames on impact.

The resulting fire spread to nearby slum dwellings clustered around the school. Firefighters were hampered from reaching the scene by the narrowness of the slum’s streets.

At least two of the dead were children, the Red Cross said. The pilot and co-pilot on the plane also died. At least ten people were taken to hospital, including five with major burns.