MANILA, Philippines – The bodies of four individuals who died while onboard Cessna plane 340 in Bicol have been recovered by authorities, a local official confirmed on Saturday, February 25.

In a Facebook post, Camalig, Albay Mayor Caloy Baldo said the assault teams retrieved the bodies and brought them to their base camp. The announcement was made at around 3:30 pm on Saturday.

After recovering the remains, Baldo said the Incident Management Team planned on the proper handling of the bodies, including the drop-off point, ground security protocols, and turnover to proper authorities. Baldo mentioned the remains of the victims would “eventually” be turned over to their families.

On February 18, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the plane went missing in Camalig town in the Bicol region. The plane, with registry number RP-C2080, last made contact while abeam the Camalig Bypass Road and carried a pilot, a crew, and two passengers. Immediately, the CAAP dispatched its officers to probe the incident.

A day later, the plane’s wreckage was found near the crater of Mayon volcano – only two kilometers away from the incident command post of the forest rangers. On Thursday, February 23, authorities announced that the bodies of the passengers were already found.

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However, due to the difficult terrain of the volcano, authorities announced as early as Thursday that they would have a hard time retrieving the bodies.

A Cessna plane also went missing last month in Isabela, northern Philippines. The plane, with tail number RP-C1174 and six people on board, went missing on January 24 after it took off from the Cauayan Domestic Airport in the province. – Rappler.com