A worker wearing a protective suit prepares to assist people outside a hotel that has been designated to accommodate families of people onboard the crashed China Eastern aircraft in Tengxian county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 22, 2022. Photo: VCG

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No survivors from the crashed China Eastern flight MU5735 have been found 30 hours after the accident, and the cause of the crash is not yet known, Chinese officials said on Tuesday night.  

The aircraft sustained severe damage from the impact, which increased the difficulty in searching. As the investigation into the crash has just started, it is still impossible to make a clear judgment on the cause of the accident, said Zhu Tao, an official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), at a press conference in Wuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, close to the scene of the search operation. 

There were 123 passengers and nine crew members onboard the aircraft, which crashed on Monday afternoon en route from Kunming of Yunnan Province to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Leaders and senior officials from many countries have sent condolences to China. 

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and State Councilor Wang Yong led a team to the plane crash site late Monday to guide the search operation the investigation into the cause of the accident. 

The senior officials have ordered investigators to find the cause of the accident as soon as possible with the principles of timeliness, accuracy, openness and transparency, and have also ordered special safety inspections in civil aviation and various key industries to draw lessons, in a bid to ensure the absolute safety of aviation operations and people's lives.

Currently, the search is ongoing, and more than 2,000 rescuers and firefighters from Guangxi and neighboring provinces are deployed to the site. 

Search for black boxes 

The crashed airliner has two black boxes, one in the cockpit and one in the tail to record various data. The search for the black boxes is one of the key tasks required by the investigation team led by the State Council, and the team said that it will search for the two black boxes with an all-out efforts, and carry out data analysis.

CCTV reported that the on-site investigation headquarters has required continuing the meticulous search for the aircraft's black boxes with another sleepless night expected. 

Aircraft black boxes are generally in bright orange-red so they can be found quickly after a flight accident. They are built to withstand explosions, disintegration, high temperature combustion, immersion in water and other damage, and the battery lasts for about 30 days.

Because the crash site is in a forested mountainous area, searchers are relying on drones and manpower, which will bring certain difficulties.

An excavator helps to clean the bushes and barriers for following search work at the crash site on March 22, 2022. Photo: Xinhua

DJI Technology dispatched an emergency drone team to the site on Monday to assist with aerial drone surveys, the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Tuesday. The drones are equipped with night vision and infrared which can record pictures or videos in poor vision conditions and provide reference for the rescue decision-making, the company said.

CAAC said on Tuesday that the flight took off from Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan Province at 13:16 on Monday, and entered the Guangzhou air traffic control area at a cruising altitude of 8,900 meters at 14:17. 

At 14:20, the controller noticed that the aircraft's altitude had dropped sharply, and immediately called the crew several times, but did not receive a reply. At 14:23, the radar signal disappeared. 

Comfort for victim's families

An official from China Eastern Airlines said it made contact with the families of all 123 passengers and crew onboard within 24 hours of the accident. A team of over 160 experts has been dispatched to offer help to the families.

Yishang Hotel in Tengxian of Guangxi vacated all 109 rooms on Tuesday to receive family members and psychologists coming from across the country. The hotel is closed to other customers, a staff from the hotel told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Several other hotels were requisitioned as designated hotels for family members. 

Media reported that on Monday night, the families of some passengers arrived in  Wuzhou, accompanied by a special team dispatched by Eastern Airlines. 

The crash brings disaster for many families. On Tuesday, Dinglong Culture, an internet media and entertainment company, said its chief financial officer, aged 30, boarded the flight.

Chinese magazine People published an online story with interviews with family members and friends of some of the passengers and flight attendants onboard, which was widely reposted on the Chinese internet.

A passenger named Liu, a frequent flyer on flight MU5735, had just received his wedding photos the day before he boarded the flight. He and his wife had not yet had time to hold their wedding banquet.

Global attention 

Leaders of many countries and international organizations, as well as foreign ministries and their embassies in China expressed condolences and sympathies.

"The Secretary-General is very saddened by the news of the crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, at a news briefing on Monday. 

"We extend our condolences to the families of the victims and the Chinese government and people," the UN said in its official statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to Chinese President Xi Jinping over the China Eastern Airlines plane crash, the Kremlin said on its website on Monday local time. Putin said Russia sympathizes with the grief of those who lost relatives and friends in the tragedy.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted on Monday that he was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in the crash of a Chinese passenger plane. "We share the grief of our Chinese brothers and sisters and convey our deepest condolences and sympathies with the bereaved families," the Prime Minister said.

"Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the crash of the China Eastern Airlines Flight," said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the crash and their family members."

Other foreign leaders including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expressed condolences over the tragedy.

Besides, the diplomatic agencies of Iran, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the US, Turkey, Italy, Israel, Sweden, and some other countries also expressed condolences and sympathies over the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a US government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, said on Twitter on Tuesday that it had appointed a senior air safety investigator as a US accredited representative for the investigation.

The NTSB noted that the CAAC will lead the investigation, and representatives from Boeing, engine producer CFM and the Federal Aviation Administration will serve as technical advisors.

Boeing told the Global Times on Tuesday that it is in contact with the NTSB and their technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the CAAC.

The FAA said on Twitter that it is aware of the crash in China and the agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked.