Boeing 737 Crashes In Southern China Leaving 132 Dead

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a major rescue effort Monday after a Boeing 737 crashed in southern China with 132 people aboard.

Chinese flight MU5735 was carrying 123 passengers and nine crew members when they lost contact with the ground crew over the city of Wuzhou in southern China. The plane was en route from the city of  Kunming to the city of Guangzhou, China Eastern Airlines and China’s Civil Aviation Administration said. 

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash.

Xi stated he was “shocked” when he heard the news of the crash. Rescuers were sent to the site in the Guangxi region immediately after Xi Jinping called for an “all-out” rescue mission.

When the plane departed Kunming, it was expected to arrive in Guangzhou in less than two hours. Data from FlightRadar24 showed the flight falling from approximately 29,000 feet in a matter of minutes less than an hour from its destination.

Boeing stated that it was aware of the crash and that it was “working to gather more information.” Meanwhile, Xi has already has called for his own investigation into the cause of the crash.