EDC mourns passing of 4 Cessna plane passengers in Albay

A low pressure area affecting most of Luzon hampered the search for the pilot, mechanic and two Australian passengers of the Cessna plane that crashed on Feb. 18 in Albay. Rescuers paused to survey the area surrounding Mayon Volcano where scattered parts of the plane were found. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

LEGAZPI CITY — The Energy Development Corp. (EDC), the largest geothermal energy producer in the Philippines, expressed grief on Thursday, Feb. 23, after their four personnel were confirmed to have died when the Cessna plane they were on crashed on Saturday, Feb. 18.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go to their families and friends during this difficult time,” Richard Tantoco, EDC president and chief operating officer said in a statement released four days after the search operations.

The company thanked the rescue teams for the effort in climbing the steep slopes of the volcano to reach the crash site.

“It is with the deepest gratitude that we thank the tireless efforts of all the rescuers from branches of government, civilian volunteers, and EDC Emergency Response Teams from across the country,” it added.

The Cessna RPC340 went missing on Saturday morning with the pilot, Captain Rufino James Crisostomo Jr.; his mechanic, Joel Martin; and their two Australian passengers, Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam.

Frances Ariola, head of EDC Corporate Communications, said the retrieval of the bodies started on Thursday morning.

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