CHINA EASTERN PLANE CARRYING 132 PEOPLE CRASHES IN GUANGXI MOUNTAINS

Mon 21 March 2022:

According to state television CCTV, a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane carrying 132 people crashed in southern China.

There was no information yet on whether anyone was hurt in the event, which occurred on Monday afternoon.

In the Guangxi region, a Boeing 737 airliner crashed in the countryside near Wuzhou. According to CCTV, it “caused a mountain [of] fire,” and emergency crews were summoned to the location.

There was no news on the cause of the plane’s accident, which was identified as a six-year-old 737-800 aircraft by flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

Videos widely shared on social media that appear to be taken by locals show plane debris strewn around the hills, and a fiery blaze and smoke billowing from the crash site.

Pictures from the scene of a #Boeing 737 crash in south #China.

latest: https://t.co/otZytipiEw pic.twitter.com/IBFrkJDsK3

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) March 21, 2022

According to local media, flight MU5735 did not reach at its intended destination in Guangzhou after taking off from Kunming just after 1pm (05:00 GMT), citing airport personnel.

The flight-tracking ended at 2:22pm (06:22 GMT) at an altitude of 3,225 feet (983 metres) and a speed of 376 knots (696km/hour).

It had been due to land at 3:05pm (07:05 GMT).

Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu said it was the biggest aviation incident China has had in years.

“China’s civil aviation authority says there were 132 people on board, including the crew,” Katrina said, speaking from Beijing.

“It seems like there is a wildfire caused by the plane coming down [in Quangxi], and you can get a sense of how remote this area is,” she continued.

“Because of how difficult this terrain is you can see that it is not going to be easy to get rescue teams there very quickly.”

Footage shows what is believed to be the crash site of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane carrying 132 people, in southwest China. The number of casualties is unknown.#China #ChinaEasternAirlines pic.twitter.com/SqsK2vRZ3Z

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) March 21, 2022

Safety record

China Eastern is one of China’s three major air carriers, operating scores of domestic and international routes serving 248 destinations.

Over the last decade, the country’s airline industry has had one of the best safety records in the world.

The twin-engine, single-aisle Boeing 737 is one of the most popular short- and medium-haul jets in the world.

After two tragic crashes, the 737 Max was grounded all over the world. Late this year, China’s aviation regulator approved the plane’s return to operation, making it the last major market to do so.

According to the Aviation Safety Network, China’s most recent fatal jet accident occurred in 2010, when a Henan Airlines Embraer E-190 regional plane crashed on approach to Yichun airport in low visibility, killing 44 of the 96 passengers on board.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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