The search for survivors from the China Eastern Flight MU5735 from Kunming which crashed in Guangxi province carrying 132 people continues as relatives of the passengers wait anxiously at the nearby Guangzhou's International Airport.

The Boeing 737-800 plane was nearing Guangzhou and had been in the air for more than an hour before it nose-dived abruptly from thousands of metres into the mountains in a span of three minutes.

The crash site of Wuzhou has hundreds of responders amidst the fear of no survivors. Part of the debris have been found scattered over the surrounding hills. The casualty count is unknown so far. The crash ignited a forest fire and has reportedly left deep marks on trees. The aircraft’s black box and other equipment which could help identify the crash are yet to be found.

President Xi Jinping has commissioned a complete investigation while the Chinese grieve over this tragedy. Both the airline and Chinese aviation authorities have begun investigating the crash. The passengers and crew members are yet to be identified by the Chinese authorities. The airline has been making arrangements to get the anguished families to Wuzhou, the crash site.

The airline has expressed its “deep condolences” while setting up a hotline for friends and family seeking updates of those on board.