US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III expressed sympathy for victims of the Philippine Air Force C-130 crash that killed a total of 53 persons, 50 of them soldiers, on Sunday.

According to the readouts by Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, Austin discussed the July 4 plane crash with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in their phone conversation on Tuesday.

"Secretary Austin offered his deepest condolences to the people of the Philippines and the families of those lost in this tragedy," Kirby said.

He said during their conversation "Secretary Lorenzana provided an update on the response to the incident and the Secretaries discussed critical medical evacuation support provided by US personnel for the crash victims".

"Secretary Austin offered to provide any additional assistance that is possible, including for the crash response and potential identification of victims. The two leaders closed the call by reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening the US-Philippines alliance, noting that they hope to meet in the coming months," he added.

In a television interview, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the flight data recorder of the C-130 aircraft will be sent to the United States as the Philippine does not have the capability to open and read its content. Robina Asido/DMS