Briefly

THE PHILIPPINES

Probe ordered into C-130 Hercules crash

Philippine authorities on Monday ordered an investigation into the military's worst aviation disaster as security forces searched on a remote island for the flight-data boxes of an C-130 Hercules transport plane that crashed and killed 52 people. The plane was carrying 96 people, most of them recent army graduates, when it overshot the runway on Sunday while trying to land on Jolo island in Sulu Province. The plane "skidded "and burst into flames in a village, killing 49 military personnel and three civilians. Another 51 were injured, most of them soldiers.

THAILAND

20 injured in chemical factory explosion

A massive explosion at a factory on the outskirts of Bangkok early on Monday shook an airport terminal serving Thailand's capital, injuring at least 20 people. The strong explosion occurred at around 3 am local time in a plastic foam production factory and caused a massive fire in the plant. It is suspected that the accident may have been triggered by some 20 tons of chemical substances stored in the plant. The government has ordered mandatory evacuation for all residents and businesses within a 5-kilometer radius of the plant.

Agencies - Xinhua