UPDATE: Initial reports that the aircraft was loaded with medical supplies was erroneous.
A medevac aircraft burst into flames upon take-off at Manila airport on Sunday night, Philippine media reported.
Eight people were on board the aircraft when a blast reportedly went off before it went up in flames and overshot the runway at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). All the 8 people on board, including a doctor and 3 crew members, were killed.
The local DZBB radio station reported that the aircraft was a light plane with registration (tail) number RP-C5880. The civilian aircraft was about to take off when it caught fire.
"Unfortunately, no passenger survived the accident," that involved a Lion Air flight, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said in a statement.
The plane was carrying a patient along with a companion and medical staff to Haneda, Japan.
It was not immediately clear what caused the mishap.
Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said on Twitter there were eight passengers on board — a flight medic, nurse, doctor, three flight crew, one patient and the patient's companion.
It was not immediately clear whether the patient was suffering from the novel coronavirus. Video footage from the scene shows a huge plume of smoke rising from the end of the runway.
The Philippines has shut down its daily domestic flights from March 14, in line with the domestic air travel curbs to fight COVID-19.
