In an unfortunate accident, a military plane carrying at least 85 people crashed in southern Philippines on Sunday morning.
A latest update stated by Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed the death of 17 people on board.
As per initial reports, as many as 40 people have been rescued from the wreckage C-130, which crashed as it tried to land on Jolo island in Sulu province, Philippines Army General Cirilito Sobejana informed.
"Responders are at the site now, we are praying we can save more lives," Sobejana was quoted as saying in the AFP report.
The AFP report also stated that most passengers were recent graduates of the basic military training and were deployed to Jojo island as part of a joint task force fighting terrorism in the Muslim-majority region.
"The military has a heavy presence in the southern Philippines where terrorist groups, including the kidnap-for-ransom outfit Abu Sayyaf, operate", it stated.
Rescue efforts and a probe into the matter are underway.
