- According to the Associated Press, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed in the mountains of southern China’s Guangxi province on Monday, killing all 132 persons on board.
- The most recent: “While wreckage from the aircraft was discovered at the location, no one onboard the plane with whom communication was lost has been located,” state broadcaster CCTV said, quoting AP.
- Details: According to China’s aviation authorities, the aircraft carried 132 individuals, including 123 passengers and nine crew members.
- The aeroplane, MU5735, lost communication at around 2:15 p.m. local time and was flying at approximately 30,000 feet before abruptly taking a steep dive, according to FlightRadar24 data obtained by AP.
- It was travelling between Kunming and Guangzhou when it ceased data transmission near the city of Wuzhou.
- China’s Civil Aviation Administration acknowledged the presence of an emergency rescue team at the accident scene, while Guangxi fire officials said firefighters were battling a mountainside inferno sparked by the incident.
- The big picture: According to Reuters and FlightRadar24, the jet involved in the incident was a six-year-old Boeing 737-800.
- “Our thoughts are with China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735’s passengers and crew. We are now collaborating with our airline client and are prepared to help them “Boeing stated in a statement that it was prepared to cooperate with the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration’s inquiry into the incident.
- What they’re saying is as follows: According to the New York Times, Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue operations in the aftermath of the tragedy.
- “Ensure the operational safety of civil aviation,” Xi said.
- To be sure: China’s most recent catastrophic aviation tragedy occurred in 2010, when a passenger jet overshot the runway at Yichun City’s airport, killing at least 42 people.
