In one of the worst military air disasters in decades, a Philippines Air Force plane crash left 50 people dead, including citizens, on Sunday. The crashed military plane, C-130, was transporting troops from Cagayan de Oro, in Mindanao, to Sulu province when the accident happened. The aircraft missed the runway on the island of Jolo which caused the crash, CNN reported, quoting Armed Forces Chief Cirilito Sobejana.

Although 47 army personnel were killed, the count could’ve been higher but a timely ejection saved some of the personnel. As per the eyewitnesses, a number of soldiers were seen jumping out of the plane before it crash-landed and burst into flames. This was reported by the Joint Task Force Sulu.

The plane was carrying 96 military personnel and crew when it crashed into Patikul village at 11:30 am local time on Sunday (11:30 p.m. ET).

Minutes after the crash, troops and civilian volunteers rushed to the site and started looking for the survivours.

A spokesperson for the military, Maj Gen Edgard Arevalo said that all victims have now been accounted for – 47 killed and 49 alive, three civilians killed and four were injured.

According to a CNN report, the soldiers, who were on the plane, were fresh graduates and had just completed military training.

Currently, a probe is on to ascertain what caused the crash. Reportedly they will also look into the reports of soldiers jumping from the plane.

Local TV stations showed images of the burning wreck of the plane as thick smoke surrounded the area.

Joint Task Force Sulu Commander William N Gonzales said the personnel on the plane “were supposed to report to their battalions today. They were supposed to join us in our fight against terrorism.”

According to Reuters, this is the Philippines’ worst military air disaster in around 30 years.

In 1993, a Philippine Air Force C-130 crashed, killing 30 people.

As part of the military’s standard operating procedure, all the C-130s will now be grounded in the Philippines. While one is in the country, the other two are overseas for maintenance.