Photo credit: Cagayan PIO

Two people were killed after a small aircraft crashed in Apayao last Tuesday, August 1. One of the victims was identified as Captain Edzel John Lumbao Tabuzo, the pilot in command of the Cessna 152. Tabuzo, a 24-year-old pilot, was operating the RP-C8958 Cessna 152 during what should have been a routine flight.

Meanwhile, the lifeless body of Anshum Rajkumar Konde, a 20-year-old Indian national and student pilot who was also on board the ill-fated flight, is undergoing processing and will soon be turned over to the Indian Embassy.

The Apayao Public Information Office (PIO) drone, with the assistance of local residents, located the wreckage in Sitio Matad, Barangay Salvacion, Luna. The discovery allowed the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, and Bureau of Fire Protection to conduct Search, Rescue, and Retrieval Operations (SRR) at the crash site.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the crash to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Governor Elias C. Bulut, Jr., and the entire Province of Apayao extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of Capt. Edzel Tabuzo and Anshum Rajkumar Konde.