China plane crash: The plane with 132 aboard had crashed on Monday, triggering global shock. Wreckage of the plane was found at the scene, but up until now, none of those aboard the plane with whom contact was lost have been found, state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday morning, more than 18 hours after the crash.
Nearly 18 hours later, no survivors have been found in the wreckage of the China Eastern plane that crashed Monday with 132 onboard, news agency AP reported, citing state broadcaster. This is one of the worst disasters the country has seen in nearly a decade.
“Wreckage of the plane was found at the scene, but up until now, none of those aboard the plane with whom contact was lost have been found,” state broadcaster CCTV has been quoted as reporting.
The Boeing 737-800 plane was reported to be flying – at around 29,000 feet – from Kunming in the southwestern province of Yunnan to the industrial center of Guangzhou when it entered a steep dive around 2:20 p.m. local time. The fire was said to be big enough to be seen in NASA satellite images.
Shortly after, an “all-out rescue operation” was called by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said he was “shocked” by the incident. Ordering a probe, he also called for a swift action “to identify the cause of the crash and to strengthen the safety overhaul of the civil aviation sector,” a report by CCTV said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness at the crash of a passenger flight in China’s Guangxi. “Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the crash of the passenger flight MU5735 with 132 onboard in China’s Guangxi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the crash and their family members,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
According to the official media, the plane sharply descended onto the mountainous area and crashed. Footage shot by locals on their phones showed the area of the crash engulfed by the massive mountainous fire with explosions heard in the background.
Following the airplane crash, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “shocked” to learn about the incident involving China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou.
President Xi ordered the immediate launch of emergency response, all-out search and rescue efforts, and proper settlement of the aftermath, Xinhua reported.
He said swift action should be taken to identify the cause of the crash and to strengthen the safety overhaul of the civil aviation sector to ensure the absolute safety of the sector and people’s lives.
