Modi expresses grief on crash of passenger plane in China

New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the crash of a passenger flight carrying 132 people on board in China's Guangxi.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the crash of the passenger flight MU5735 with 132 on board in China's Guangxi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the crash and their family members."

A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737, carrying 132 people on board, crashed on Monday in a mountainous area of the country's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to emergency officials.

Flight MU5735 took off from Kunming at 1.11 p.m. (local time) and was scheduled to arrive in Guangzhou at 3.05 p.m.

According to Guangxi's regional emergency management department, the crash took place on a mountain in Tengxian County, causing a huge fire.

Of the 132 people, 123 were passengers and nine crew members, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said.

The CAAC said it has initiated the emergency response mechanism and dispatched a working team to the site.

The number of casualties was not immediately known. China Eastern is also yet to issue a statement on the crash.