Boeing 737 Plane Crash: Plane carrying 132 crashes in China; What we know so far | World News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A China Eastern Airlines passenger jet with 132 people on board crashed in the mountains of southern China on Monday while on a flight from the city of Kunming to Guangzhou, China’s Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said.
Here’s what we know about the plane crash so far
* The jet involved in the accident was a Boeing 737 aircraft and the number of casualties was not immediately known
* Rescue services are on their way to the scene and the cause of the crash is not yet known.
* China Eastern released a statement confirming the facts of the crash and adding details of an emergency assistance phone line for family members. China Eastern’s website, mobile app and some of its social media platforms were turned to black and white in a sign of mourning.
* The plane was a 6-year-old 737-800 aircraft, according to Flightradar24.

* The CAAC said the aircraft lost contact over the city of Wuzhou. It had 123 passengers and nine crew on board.
* Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed “shock” over the crash and has ordered a probe into the cause.
* Media cited a rescue official as saying the plane had completely disintegrated. A fire sparked by the crash burned down bamboo and trees before being put out.
* The flight departed the southwestern city of Kunming at 1:11pm, FlightRadar24 data showed, and had been due to land in Guangzhou, on the south coast, at 3:05pm (0705 GMT).

* The plane had been cruising at an altitude 29,100 feet at 0620 GMT, according to FlightRadar24 data.
* Just over two minutes and 15 seconds later, the next available data showed it had descended to 9,075 feet. In another 20 seconds, its last tracked altitude was 3,225 feet.
* One villager told a local news site that the plane involved in the crash had “completely fallen apart” and he had seen nearby forest areas destroyed by a fire caused when the plane crashed onto the mountainside.
* The 737-800 NG has one of the best safety records among jetliners, with just eight fatal accidents out of more than 7,000 sold as of 2018, Boeing has said.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)