China plane crash: Chinese envoy thanks PM Modi over prayers for Boeing 737 crash victims

Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for offering prayers and sympathy over the Eastern Boeing 737 passenger plane crash incident. The plane, which was en route to Guangzhou, had 132 people on board.

Taking to Twitter, the Chinese envoy wrote: "Thanks to Prime Minister @narendramodi and Indian friends for your prayers and sympathy for the loss in the air crash. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out search & rescue efforts & proper settlement of aftermath. Mourn for the victims, deep condolences to their families."

Hours after the plane crash incident in China left the entire world in shock, PM Modi on Monday expressed grief and extended his prayers for the victims of the crash and their families. "Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the crash of the passenger flight MU5735 with 132 onboard in China's Guangxi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the crash and their family members," he wrote on Twitter.

Chinese airliner crashes with 132 onboard

The Boeing 737 aircraft of China Eastern Airlines, which flew from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in Tengxian County near  Wuzhou city, causing a mountain fire in the worst air disaster experienced by the nation in over a decade. The 132 people on-board included 123 passengers and nine crew members, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said on its website.

State television reports depicted teams of rescuers armed with searchlights hurrying through the sprawling area in the forests on the remote mountainous area as darkness enveloped the forest region.

While China Eastern Airlines has announced that no foreigners were on board, the families of some crew members from the crashed flight have arrived in the company's branch office in Yunnan Province and they were being assisted to work on follow-up issues, state-run CGTN-TV reported.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for immediate activation of the emergency mechanism for the passenger plane, sparing no efforts on search and rescue operation and proper handling of the aftermath. He has also ordered swift action to identify the cause of the crash.

(Image: ANI/PTI/RepublicWorld)