Manila: A private plane contracted by the US military crashed Thursday in a rice field in the southern Philippines, resulting in the deaths of at least four individuals, as reported by state media.

According to Anadolu Agency, the bodies of the victims were recovered from a two-engine Beech King Air 300 aircraft in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The victims have been described as four Caucasian men, but their identities have yet to be confirmed.

The plane crashed in the afternoon in Malatimon village on Mindanao Island. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was flying low and appeared to be conducting a survey of the Muslim-majority region before it nose-dived into the field. Videos of the wreckage's aftermath are being circulated online.

Filipino officials have not yet clarified the purpose and origin of the flight, but the US Embassy in Manila has confirmed that the plane was contracted by the US military. Manila, being the oldest US ally in the region, allows the American military access to bases of the Philippines military.