Beijing: A Boeing Co. 737-800 NG plane operated by China Eastern Airlines Corp. crashed Monday in the southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi.
There were 132 people on board — — and the plane went down in a mountainous area near the city of Wuzhou, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
China Eastern said it will ground all of its Boeing 737-800 jets starting Tuesday. An emergency telephone assistance line for family was set up and the carrier expressed deep condolences to passengers and crew members onboard.
China Eastern’s website, mobile app and some of its social media platforms were turned to black and white in a sign of mourning.
China President Xi Jinping urged rescue efforts following the crash, state TV reported.
Following the accident, videos and pictures purporting to come from the scene started circulating on social media showing smoke billowing from a hillside and wreckage on the ground.