Where China Eastern Airlines plane crashed and latest on what has happened
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A China Eastern Airlines passenger jet crashed in mountains in the southern province of Guangxi on Monday, according to officials.
Chinese state television CGTN reported the Boeing 737 aircraft had an “accident” at around 2.30pm (6.30am UK time), as satellite data from Nasa pictured a massive mountainside fire.
The twin-engine, single-aisle 737 is one of the world’s most popular planes for short and medium-haul flights.
Where did the crash happen?The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC ) said in a statement the crash occurred near the city of Wuzhou, a city of 3 million in eastern Guangxi.
The plane had been cruising at an altitude 29,100ft at 2.20pm (6.20am UK time), according to FlightRadar24 data.
Just over two minutes and 15 seconds later, the next available data showed it had descended to 9,075 feet. In another 20 seconds, its last tracked altitude was 3,225 feet.
The data suggests the plane, a six-year-old 737-800 aircraft, crashed within a minute and a half of whatever went wrong.
Villagers were first to arrive at the forested area where the plane went down, sparking a blaze big enough to be seen on NASA satellite images. Hundreds of rescue workers were swiftly dispatched from Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong province.
State media said local police first received calls from villagers alerting them to the cash at around 2.30pm.
How many people were on the plane?The plane was carrying 123 passengers and nine crew, the CAAC said. There has been no immediate word on numbers of dead and injured.
Where was it going?The plane – China Eastern Airlines flight number MU5735 – was traveling from Kunming, in the western province of Yunnan, to the industrial centre of Guangzhou on China’s southern coast. It was due to land at 3.05pm (7.05pm UK time), having taken off at 1.11pm.
What is the latest update?The web site of China Eastern Airlines is currently presented in black and white, a common response by airlines to accidents and disasters, as a mark of respect for the assumed victims.
CAAC said an emergency team had been sent to the crash site. A rescue official was reported saying that the plane had completely disintegrated, while the fire was said to have destroyed bamboo and trees before being put out.
Media reported that rescue workers had found no sign of survivors.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this stage, as Boeing said it was working to gather more information.
The accident quickly became a leading topic on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform, with 1.34 billion views and 690,000 discussions. Many posts expressed condolences to the families of victims, while others questioned the planes’ safety.