Small plane crashes into resort area in Philippines

A small plane crashed into a resort area south of the Philippine capital and exploded in flames Sunday, but there was no immediate word on casualties as firefighters scrambled to control the fire, officials said.

The light plane crashed in a swimming pool resort in Pansol village in Laguna province near the foothills of Mount Makiling and authorities were checking possible casualties on board the plane and on the ground, Laguna police chief Eleazar Matta said by phone.

“It’s very likely that there were casualties,” Matta said, adding that police were on the ground to search for and rescue victims.

Eric Apolonio of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said a light plane on a medical evacuation flight from southern Dipolog city to Manila disappeared from radar for unknown reasons around the time the small plane crashed in mid-afternoon in Laguna, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of the capital.

Videos posted online by witnesses showed flames and black smoke billowing from a private resort compound in Pansol, a resort district popular for its hot springs and swimming pools. Firefighters and an ambulance can be seen near the scene of the crash as local officials asked villagers to step back to a safe distance.

The crash happened during the monsoon season, when fewer people visit Pansol’s resorts compared to the hot summer months that ended in June.