According to China’s state broadcaster CCTV, a China Eastern passenger jet carrying 133 people crashed and caused a fire in southwest China. The number of casualties was unknown.
According to CCTV, the Boeing 737 plane crashed near Wuzhou city, Guangxi region, causing a mountain fire, which started in the countryside.
The footage shows plumes of smoke rising from a forest on a mountain as fire rips through it.
A rescue team has been dispatched to the scene. CCTV reported that a Boeing 737 of China Eastern Airlines in Teng county, Wuzhou, Guangxi, crashed and caused a mountain fire.
Chinese media reported that China Eastern flight MU5735 had not reached Guangzhou after leaving Kunming shortly after 1 pm (4 pm AEDT) Monday. The airline cited airport staff for the report. According to FlightRadar24 data, China Eastern’s flight departed at 1:11pm and was scheduled to land at 3:05pm. The flight tracking ended at 2:22pm.
Just southwest of Wuzhou in China, the plane stopped transmitting data.
China Eastern received the aircraft from Boeing in June 2015, and it had been in service for six years. The twin-engine, single-aisle Boeing 737 is one of the most popular planes in the world for short and medium-distance flights.
