It is uncertain if any of the 132 onboard the Boeing 737 jet have survived
The following written content from Yong Xiong, Lizzy Yee and Wayne Chang
The Boeing 737 was en route from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou when it lost contact over the city of Wuzhou. On board were 123 passengers and nine crewmembers, CAAC said in a statement posted online. China Eastern Airlines confirmed those details and said it had activated emergency procedures, including a line for emergency assistance for family members.
Rescue efforts are underway at the scene of the crash, but there were no immediate details on the possible cause or the number of casualties. China Eastern offered its condolences to those who were killed in the incident, without confirming any death toll. “The cause of the plane crash is still under investigation. The company expresses its sorrowful condolences to the passengers and crew members who died in this plane crash,” the airline said in a statement.
The plane’s altitude dropped from 8,869 meters (29,098 feet) to 1,333.5 meters (4,375 feet) in the span of three minutes, state news agency China News Service reported, citing VariFlight, a Chinese technology company that provides civil aviation data services.
Hours after the accident, CCTV reported that the airline was grounding all its Boeing 737-800s and that the aircraft currently in the air would “not carry more flights after landing. “CCTV also reported that rescue efforts could be hampered by bad weather and limited accessibility to the site.
Heavy rescue equipment was unable to reach the scene — which lacks electricity — as it is surrounded by mountains on three sides and accessible only through a narrow path, CCTV said, citing the Guangxi Wuzhou fire department. Separately, Guangxi Meteorological Bureau warned that the rescue effort could be hindered by an incoming cold front that would see heavy rainfall and a temperature drop in Tengxian County, where the crash site is.
Eyewitness describes falling plane
In an interview with state media outlet Beijing Youth Daily, an eyewitness described seeing a plane “falling directly from the sky in front of him around 2 p.m. “The plane fell vertically from the sky. Although I was very far away, I could still see that it was a plane.
The plane did not smoke during the fall. The fire started after it fell into the mountain, followed by a lot of smoke,” the witness, who was only identified by his surname, Liu, said.”My heart was thumping. I immediately informed friends about the situation, that this area is dangerous and not to come nearby,” Liu continued.
In a separate interview with China News Service, a resident from Molang village in Tengxian county — close to the scene of the crash — reported seeing “wings and pieces of the plane, as well as pieces of clothing hanging from trees.
“The witness — whose name was not published — told state media he drove his motorcycle to the crash site after hearing “a huge explosion” around 2.40 pm to “see if he could participate in the rescue.” The onlooker added that the accident caused “about 10 acres of fire,” according to his visual estimates.
Video showing what appears to be a plane falling nose first from the sky circulated widely on Chinese social media Monday, before being picked up and published by state media. Footage posted online and shared by state media outlet People’s Daily show plumes of smoke billowing from a mountainous, forested area. Another clip shows what appears to be wreckage from the plane on a muddy mountain path. Read more from Cablenews
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