Officials say China Eastern Airlines jet with 132 aboard crashes in country's south
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.
Shanghai-based China Eastern is one of China’s top three airlines, operating scores of domestic and international routes serving 248 destinations.The flight that crashed appeared to be Flight No. MU5735 from Kunming to Guangzhou, according to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24. It showed the Boeing 737-89P rapidly lost speed after 0620 GMT before entering a sharp descent.
The aircraft was delivered to China Eastern from Boeing in June 2015 and had been flying for more than six years.The twin-engine, single aisle Boeing 737 is one of the world’s most popular planes for short and medium-haul flights.China Eastern operates multiple versions of the common aircraft, including the 737-800 and the 737 Max.The 737 Max version was grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes.