China Eastern Airlines flight crashes carrying more than 130 people: state media

• A Boeing 737 crashed in the southern Chinese region of Guangxi on Monday.
• It was carrying 132 people, per the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

A China Eastern Airlines passenger jet carrying 132 people crashed on Monday afternoon in Guangxi, southern China.

The crash of the Boeing 737 was confirmed by China Eastern and aviation officials in China. There was not immediately any information on whether there were any survivors from the flight, which had the code MU5735.

China Eastern confirmed reports of the crash some eight hours after the fact saying it lost contact with the plane when it was flying over Wuzhou, Guangxi.

It added that the cause of the crash is currently under investigation.

—Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) March 21, 2022

Data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.com said the plane started a deep dive while it was travelling around 523 miles per hour (842 kilmometers per hour) and at almost 30,000 feet.

It took off from Kunming Changshui International Airport at 1:11 p.m. and was around halfway through its journey to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, where it was due at 3:10 p.m.

The plane's last recorded altitude was 3,225 ft, the data showed — well below cruising altitude. The data also showed that officials lost contact with the plane around 2:22 p.m. local time.

This map shows the route the plane took, and where it stopped flying:

Officials said the plane crashed around the small settlements of Teng County. There were 123 passengers and nine crew on board, per a statement from the Civil Aviation Administration of China reported by the local outlet China News.

Earlier reports said there were 133 people on board, but later statements revised that figure to 132.

Chinese news outlet The Cover reported that the plane was a 737-800NG that was less than seven years old.

In a statement released in the hours after the crash, Chinese President Xi Jinping described his shock and ordered an investigation to find the cause of the disaster. The statement was published in paraphrase by the state-linked media outlet Renmin Daily

Videos uploaded by Chinese news outlets on the country's Twitter-like platform Weibo showed what appeared to be a mountainside engulfed in smoke. News outlets said the crash started a forest fire.

—ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) March 21, 2022

The Guangzhou fire department said on Monday evening it was dispatching emergency squads to the crash site.

Videos published on CCTV showed firemen clad in protective gear rushing to vehicles, with the media outlet reporting that some 450 emergency rescue personnel are en-route to the site.

China Eastern said it is grounding all Boeing 737-800 flights following the crash, despite the fact that this model is known to be one of the safest in the world, Insider previously reported.

"Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735," Boeing told Insider.

"We are working with our airline customers and are ready to support them. Boeing is in contact with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and our technical experts are prepared to assist with the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China."

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.