Mid Air Explosion At 30,000 ft Causes Chinese Airliner To Crash With 132 Aboard

Chinese airliner crashes with 132 aboard in country's south 

BEIJING (AP) — A China Eastern Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in the southern province of Guangxi on Monday, officials said. The Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a statement the crash occurred near the city of Wuzhou in Teng county. The flight was traveling from Kunming in the western province of Yunnan to the industrial center of Guangzhou along the east coast, it added. There was no immediate word on numbers of dead and injured. The plane was carrying 123 passengers and nine crew members, the CAAC said, correcting earlier reports that 133 people had been on board. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an “all-out effort” to be made in the rescue operation, for post-crash arrangements to be handled appropriately and potential safety hazards investigated to ensure complete civil aviation flight safety. People’s Daily reports that 117 rescuers have already arrived at the crash site. Guangxi fire department is organizing 650 rescuers who are heading to the site from three directions. CCTV reports that China Eastern Airlines set up nine teams with focuses like aircraft disposal, accident investigation and family assistance, and they are heading to the site. The CAAC said it had sent a team of officials, and the Guangxi fire service said work was underway to control a mountainside blaze ignited by the crash. Satellite data from NASA showed a massive fire just in the area of where the plane went down at the time of the crash.. Source