Beijing, March 21
A Chinese passenger plane with 132 people on board crashed in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Monday, the regional emergency management department said.
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 department was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The 132 people included 123 passengers and nine crew members, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on its website.
The number of casualties is not clear yet, the report said.
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.
The fire has been put out and the rescue operation is underway, said Chen Jie, an official with the regional emergency management department.
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.
In his instructions issued soon after the incident, Xi said he was “shocked” to learn about the incident involving China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou. He ordered the immediate launch of emergency response, all-out search and rescue efforts and proper settlement of the aftermath, state-run Xinhua news agency 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.
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