Daijiworld Media Network - Manila

Manila, Feb 25: Five American personnel were injured after a United States military aircraft struck a concrete barrier while attempting to take off from a road during contingency training in northern Philippines, officials said on Wednesday.

The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon on a concrete bypass road in Laoac town in Pangasinan province. According to an initial police report, the pilot and two other American personnel were rushed to a hospital for treatment, while two others were treated at the site.

Philippine officials said the training involved a United States Air Force transport aircraft landing and taking off from an “alternate landing zone.” The activity was planned and fully coordinated with Philippine civilian, police and military authorities. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.

One official said the aircraft successfully landed during the supervised drill but swerved while taking off and hit a concrete barrier. Such exercises are aimed at preparing military forces for contingencies, including situations where regular airports and runways become unusable due to typhoons or earthquakes.

Under the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement, US forces are permitted to conduct joint training with Filipino counterparts in the Philippines.

In recent years, large-scale joint drills have focused on strengthening the Philippines’ territorial defense and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, located west of Pangasinan.

Tensions have escalated in the disputed waters between China and the Philippines, with confrontations involving coast guard and naval forces. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan are also claimants in the long-standing territorial dispute.

While the US does not claim any part of the contested waters, it has reiterated its commitment to defend the Philippines under a mutual defense treaty if Philippine forces, ships or aircraft come under armed attack, including in the South China Sea.