The ill-fated chartered plane, RPC 5880, help transport medical supplies to Cebu and the Visayas days before it exploded on take off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 29, 2020. | DOH photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The chartered plane bound for Japan for a medical evacuation (medEvac) mission that exploded and crashed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday evening, March 29, 2020 was used to deliver medical supplies in Cebu and some parts in the Visayas.
A source from one of the relevant government agencies in Manila, who requested anonymity to Cebu Daily News Digital, confirmed that LionAir West Wind 24, with flight number RPC 5880, delivered medical supplies to Visayas via the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
The source added that the ill-fated plane arrived in Cebu a few days before it exploded shortly after taking off at the NAIA at past 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 29, 2020.
As a result, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), the managing body of NAIA, announced in an advisory that Runway 24 would be closed until further notice.
MIAA also said the flight was carrying a total of eight individuals — two passengers and six crew members. However, none of them reportedly survived.
Flight RPC 5880 served a Manila-Cebu-Tokyo route, Senator Dick Gordon said in a status on his official Facebook page.
In a press release issued on March 28, 2020, the Department of Health (DOH) announced that several health commodities were transported to Visayas between March 23 to March 26.
The goods were used to augment the demand for medical supplies in combatting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) here.
The press statement also attached several photos of the planes carrying the commodities, including RPC 5880.
*This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for more updates*