China is searching for survivors after its first plane crash in 12 years. Photo: Facebook/Latin Panda.
Chinese rescue teams continue to search Tengxian County in hopes of finding survivors of the 133 people on board China Eastern airline plane that crashed in the mountains of southern Guangxi province this Monday.
The plane was en route from Kunming, capital of southwestern Yunnan Province, to the port city of Guangdong when it suddenly crashed from cruising altitude just as it would normally begin its descent before landing. At the moment, no official source has clarified whether foreigners were traveling on board the device.
The incident caused a forest fire in the area, which is difficult for rescue teams to access due to its rough terrain and remote location. State media have warned that the possibility that everyone on board died cannot be ruled out.
The People’s Liberation Army (Chinese army) has mobilized 80 soldiers to help with the rescue work, along with more than 700 firefighters from the local province and another 500 dispatched from neighboring Guangdong province. Once the fire was out, rescue teams were able to approach the scene and place markers where the remains were found.
Stock market crash and around 19,000 canceled flights
The plane crash, the first in China since 2010 when 44 people died in an accident in Yichun (northeast), has sent the stock market value of the operating airline China Eastern plummeting.
The company is down 5.98% on Tuesday on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and 4.36% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is also listed.
Hours after the incident, China Eastern ordered all equipment on the model of the crashed plane to be grounded pending further information on what happened. That means the cancellation of 19,000 flights that were due to operate throughout Chinese territory this Tuesday.
Similar measures were taken by the airport in the southern city of Kunming, from which the damaged plane took off, canceling about 60% of the flights it had to handle throughout the day.
For his part, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an investigation to clarify both the causes of the accident and other possible safety issues as soon as possible.
The Cuban President offers his condolences to the people and government of China
Cuban President Miguel DíazCanel Bermúdez expressed his heartfelt condolences to the people and government of the People’s Republic of China over the painful plane crash in the Guanxi region.
Cuba, which suffered a similar disaster almost four years ago, stands in solidarity with the families and friends of the victims, the President wrote on his Twitter account.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the people and government of the People’s Republic of China at the painful plane crash in the Guanxi region. #Cubawhich suffered a similar disaster nearly four years ago, sympathizes with the families and friends of the victims. pic.twitter.com/3iJw6wUJt1
— Miguel DíazCanel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) March 22, 2022
China is searching for survivors after its first plane crash in 12 years. Photo: Facebook/Latin Panda.
China is searching for survivors after its first plane crash in 12 years. Photo: Facebook/Latin Panda.
(With information from the public)