A Chinese passenger plane with 132 people on board crashed in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday. The Boeing 737 aircraft of China Eastern Airlines, which flew from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in Tengxian County in the city of Wuzhou, causing a mountain fire. The 132 people included 123 passengers and nine crew members, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on its website. While the number of casualties was not clear, various news agencies reported that all on board were feared killed.
The Wuzhou fire brigade has sent 117 firefighters with 23 fire trucks to the site. Further 538 firefighters from other parts of Guangxi have been dispatched to join the rescue efforts, the regional fire department said.
State-run CCTV reports that the airlines set up nine teams with focuses like aircraft disposal, accident investigation and family assistance. Chinese President Xi Jinping said that he was “shocked” to learn about the crash and ordered an “all-out search and rescue efforts”.
State-run CGTN reported that the first rescue team has reached the crash site in the remote mountains. Premier Li Keqiang urged efforts to console the families of the victims and provide them with assistance, release accurate information in a timely manner, conduct a serious probe into the incident, and take strong measures to strengthen the safety of civil aviation.
