LONDON – According to CGTN, authorities have confirmed that all 132 people on board China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 have died following the crash on Monday.
MU5735 was on a routine flight from Kunming to Guangzhou when the aircraft dropped between 24,000-31,000 feet per minute into the mountains.
Data from RadarBox.com shows that the flight landed in Guangzhou but Chinese media outlet CGTN has confirmed the downing of the aircraft.
It is understood that 132 people onboard, translating to 123 passengers and nine crew members.
B-1791 is a 6.8-year-old Boeing 737-89P(WL) that was delivered to China Eastern back in June 2015. The aircraft was cruising at 29,100 feet before making a rapid descent into the mountain.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping has activated the emergency mechanism and has called for the following items in the wake of the accident:
“The State Council has appointed leading comrades to coordinate and deal with the accident, find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible, draw inferences from one case to another, strengthen the investigation of potential safety hazards in the field of civil aviation, pay close attention to the implementation of responsibilities, ensure the absolute safety of aviation operations, and ensure the absolute safety of people’s lives.”
The U.S Federal Aviation Administration has also commented on the crash saying:
“FAA is aware of reports that a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crashed this morning in China. The agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked.”
China Eastern said the following:
Finally, Boeing commented on the incident on March 21 saying:
This is a developing story.
