Authorities in the province of Dinagat Islands have recovered suspected human remains believed to belong to the two crew members of a civilian aircraft that crashed in Tubajon town on Wednesday, April 8, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) confirmed on Thursday.

The crash site is located in Barangay Navarro, Tubajon, where responders conducting retrieval operations discovered flesh and bone fragments, along with strands of hair believed to belong to two individuals on board.

“During ongoing retrieval efforts, responders observed suspected human remains, including flesh and bone fragments, as well as strands of hair of varying lengths believed to belong to a male and a female,” the authorities said in a statement.

Authorities said the findings are still undergoing proper forensic verification.

Aside from human remains, responders also recovered personal belongings and aircraft debris scattered across the mountainous crash site, according to the PDRRMO.

The aircraft, a Cessna 172 with registry RPC 2444, reportedly departed from Subic and was en route to Siargao Island when it went missing on Wednesday afternoon.

Residents in the area earlier reported hearing a loud explosion around 1 p.m., prompting search and retrieval operations by local authorities and emergency responders.

After completing necessary procedures and assessments, the PDRRMO announced the official conclusion of the search and retrieval mission, with concurrence from the families of the missing occupants and local government officials in Tubajon.

The Incident Management Team (IMT) was subsequently demobilized at around 4:30 p.m. on April 9, 2026.

Tubajon Mayor Fely Pedrablanca commended responders and extended gratitude to national agencies, local government units, and community volunteers who participated in the operation.

Moreover, the PDRRMO said family representatives also expressed appreciation for the coordinated response and recovery efforts.