Plane carrying medical supplies crashes and explodes into a fireball – 8 people dead

THE plane that is believed to be carrying medical supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic, has crashed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines.

The Jet, bound for Haneda, Japan, crashed at Manila International Airport in the Philippines and it is believed that all eight people on board were killed.

The Jet erupted into a huge fireball during take off at the busy airport at around 8.30pm local time (2.30pm Spain time).

It is reported eight people were on board the aircraft which was heading to Japan, and that all of them died.

It had reportedly been chartered by the government and was carrying emergency supplies to the country as battles against the spread of Covid-19.

Initial pictures from the crash scene showed huge flames as emergency services were scrambled.

Thick plumes of black smoke could also be seen billowing into the air from miles around the airport.

Pictures later emerged of the burnt wreckage after firefighters got the blaze under control.

The images showed the plane sat on the tarmac of the runway completely destroyed.

One image circulating on social media reportedly shows officials loading boxes of medical supplies onto the plane earlier.

The officials were wearing clothing labelled ‘DOH’ – which stands for Department of Health.

Cases in Japan, where the plane was destined, have spiked in the last few days as the government held off placing the country on lockdown.

Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike warned the capital was entering an “important phase in preventing an explosive rise in the number of infections.”

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also warned the country was getting closer to a national emergency.

He promised an unprecedented package to protect the world’s third-biggest economy from collapse.