China passenger plane crash: President Xi Jinping 'shocked', orders probe into cause

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was "shocked" by the crash of a passenger plane carrying 132 people in the country's southwest on Monday and called for an investigation into the accident, news agency AFP quoting state media.

The plane crashed in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 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.

Rescuers have been assembled and are approaching the site.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue efforts after plane crash, official media reported.

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.

In a video captured by a local mining company's security camera, the plane was seen nosediving at a great speed before it crashed into the mountains.

According to Flight tracker FlightRadar24, the plane sharply dropped from an altitude of 29,100 feet to 9,075 feet in 2.15 minutes. In another 20 seconds, its altitude was 3,225 feet, before flight information stopped. Reportedly, this decline in altitude usually takes about 30 minutes.

Published on: Monday, March 21, 2022, 05:12 PM IST