KABUL (BNA) No bodies or survivors have yet been found from the China Eastern Airlines crash as of Tuesday morning, Chinese state media said.
The domestic flight on a Boeing 737-800, which was carrying 132 people, nosedived Monday afternoon in the southern region of Guangxi, China’s aviation authority confirmed.
The Boeing 737-800, operated by the China Eastern airline, crashed Monday afternoon with 132 passengers and nine crew members on board, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
The crash sparked a large fire that his since been extinguished, but state media reported late Monday that forecasted rain and the mountainous terrain at the crash site might complicate search efforts. So far, only debris from the wreckage had been found, according to rescuers who spoke to state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out effort” in the rescue operations and for any potential safety hazards to be investigated.
Chicago-based Boeing said in a statement it is in contact with the U.S. transport safety board, and its technical team is “prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.”
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the crash and will assist in the investigation “if asked.”
China Eastern Airlines said it is sending workers to the crash site and has opened a hotline for family members. The company’s Hong Kong-traded shares briefly dropped more than 7% on Tuesday morning.
Alamyar
