Airlines Passenger Plane Carrying 132 People Crashed Into The Ground

A video captured by a local mining company’s security camera showed a China Eastern Airlines plane flying essentially straight into the ground at a high speed according to video footage.

Some videos on social media  showed the crash site, a forest fire and billowing smoke in a lush mountainous area. Other videos showed locals next to airplane parts. 

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 China Eastern Airlines passenger plane carrying 132 people crashed Monday in a mountainous region in south China, according to the country’s civil aviation agency. 

The number of casualties was not immediately clear, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Emergency responders were en route. The People's Daily quoted a provincial firefighting department official as saying there was no sign of life among the scattered debris. 

The airline released a statement, saying: "the company expresses deep condolences to the passengers and crew who died in the plane crash." 

It also said that "the cause of this crash is still under investigation [and] the company will actively cooperate with the relevant investigation." 

No number of death mentioned in the statement. The airline told state media CCTV that no foreign passengers on the plane. 

Boris Johnson has paid tribute to the families of those caught up in the "tragedy". 

The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737 jet. 

"Can confirm the plane has crashed," China Eastern Airlines said in a statement in which it also gave details of a hotline for relatives of those on board.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was "shocked" by the crash and called for an investigation into the accident, state media reported. 

"We are shocked to learn of the China Eastern MU5735 accident," state broadcaster CCTV reported Mr Xi saying, while he also called for "all efforts" towards the rescue and to find out the "cause of the accident as soon as possible". 

Mr Xi added that authorities must immediately activate the emergency mechanism, make every effort to organise search and rescue, and properly handle the aftermath. 

The State Council has appointed officials to coordinate and deal with the incident, to find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible. 

Mr Xi also ordered his government to 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, state media reported.

Flight MU5735 was en route from Kunming to Guangzhou when in crashed in Tengxian County near the city of Wuzhou, according to the emergency management department of the Guangxi region.

The plane was a 6-year-old 737-800 aircraft, according to Flightradar24.

The crash had caused a mountain fire, the emergency department said.

A Boeing spokesperson said: "We are aware of the initial media reports and are working to gather more information."

The plane had 123 passengers and nine crew members on board, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The administration said the airplane lost contact over the city of Wuzhou. The flight crashed about 2:38 p.m. in a mountainous area near Molang village in Tengxian County, according to the emergency management department.

“The CAAC has activated the emergency mechanism and sent a working group to the scene,” it said.