MANILA - Ten people were killed when a small plane crashed into a house just outside the Philippine capital on Saturday, police and aviation officials said.
The twin-engine aircraft crashed shortly after taking off in Plaridel town, killing all five aboard as well as three children, a mother and a grandmother from the family in the house, said Superintendent Julio Lizardo. "We had to dig through the rubble to find the bodies," he said, explaining why the toll rose from an initial figure of seven dead.
Officials declined to say what may have caused the crash of the Piper PA-23 Apache, operated by a local charter company. The death toll could rise as rescuers were still going through the ruins of the house, Lizardo, the town's police chief said.
All aircraft operated by Lite Air Express were grounded pending investigations.
“Investigation revealed that the said aircraft took off at the runway of Plaridel Airport but unluckily crashed at the residential area,” Philippine police spokesman Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said in a text message.