WUZHOU (Times Of Ocean)- No survivors have been found in the crash of a Chinese airplane with 132 people on board after five days of intense search operations.
Rescue efforts are ongoing for the 132 people aboard a Chinese airplane that crashed on Monday, officials say.
“Rescue efforts are still ongoing, although no survivors have been found so far,” said Zhu Tao, the head of the aviation safety office of China’s Civil Aviation Administration.
123 passengers and nine crew members were aboard the Boeing 737-800 on Monday when it crashed in a mountainous area near Wuzhou, China.
“At present, search and rescue work is still the most important work, and the search team is watching camera footage and talking with all witnesses, trying to find further clues,” the official said, according to state-run CGTN news.
The plane crash caused a forest fire that was quickly extinguished, but the rough terrain and rains made the search difficult.
“Communication was fine until the flight went missing, and the crew members did not send any emergency codes,” said Liu Xiaodong, a spokesperson for China Eastern Airlines.
Over 7,000 people, 200 vehicles, five helicopters, and other equipment have been mobilized by Chinese officials for search and rescue operations, Zhu said.
According to reports, one of the two black boxes from the flight – a flight recorder that may provide insight into the crash – has been found, but it is badly damaged.
The weather was not hazardous when the plane crashed, according to aviation officials. Prior to its sudden descent, the flight had maintained normal communication with the air traffic control unit.