Philippine police chief’s helicopter crashes with seven others on board
- General Archie Gamboa’s helicopter crashed after hitting a power cable following take-off in San Pedro city south of Manila
- The police chief is recovering in hospital but two in his party are in ‘critical condition’
Gamboa, his spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac , and the helicopter’s crew are safe while the two other high-ranking generals – Director for Intelligence Major General Mariel Magaway and Director for Comptrollership Major General Jovic Ramos – are in “critical condition”, the national police community relations chief Major General Benigno Durana Jr told domestic media.
A villager in San Pedro city, Glenda Garcia, said the helicopter whipped up a thick cloud of dust as it took off, hit a power cable then crashed with a loud thud on a road near houses in a rural village.
“It was really loud and we ran away in fear because we thought the helicopter would move out of control in a circle and hit us,” Garcia said, adding that power in her village was cut due to the crash.
A motorcycle was damaged but apparently no people on the ground were hurt in the crash. A part of the propeller or rotor blades also hit the roof of a nearby house, Garcia and police officials said.