No survivors found in crash of Chinese airliner: State broadcaster
No survivors have been found at the site where a China Eastern plane--carrying 132 people--crashed on Monday, China's state broadcaster said. "Wreckage of the plane was found at the scene, but up until now, none of those aboard the plane with whom contact was lost have been found," state broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday morning as searches continued even after 18 hours of the crash.
- The Boeing 737-800 aircraft of China Eastern airlines crashed on Monday in a forested mountainous area in southern China.
- It is reportedly China's worst air disaster in a decade.
- As per reports, the accident took place near the city of Wuzhou in Teng county.
- Flight MU5735 was en route for Guangzhou in Guangdong province from Kunming, capital of Yunnan province.
According to reports, rescue operations are still underway at the site of the crash on Tuesday. Rescue teams continue to scour the slopes of the mountain in hopes of finding the black box and other parts of the plane that could help experts determine the exact cause of the crash. Reportedly, China's vice-premier is overseeing the search and rescue operation.
On Monday, debris of the plane was found strewn across mountain slopes charred by fire after the crash, Reuters reported. Burnt remains of identity cards and wallets were also found at the site. According to FlightRadar24, the plane descended at a final rate of 31,000 feet a minute, sparking a mountainside fire after the crash. The crash created a deep pit in the mountainside.
Meanwhile, China Eastern has grounded its entire Boeing 737-800 fleet after the crash, reports said. Notably, China has more 737-800s than any other country--nearly 1,200. Aviation experts believe if identical planes at other Chinese airlines are grounded, it "could have a significant impact on domestic travel." Boeing 737-800s have been flying since 1998. They have been involved in 22 accidents that killed 612 people.
A day after the crash, 74% of the 11,800 flights scheduled in China on Tuesday were canceled, Bloomberg reported. This includes flights between Shanghai and Beijing, which is the world's busiest domestic route.
