Japan-bound aircraft carrying COVID-19 medical supplies crashes in Philippines, 8 on board feared dead

A Japan-bound plane conveying coronavirus medical supplies from the Philippines has crashed after taking off, killing all the eight people on board, a report said.


The aircraft is reportedly owned by Lion Air, a charter service company in the Philippines.

Cases of coronavirus 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, had warned that the capital was entering “an important phase in preventing an explosive rise in the number of infections.”

He asked the 14 million people living in the city to stay at home over the weekend.


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.