Paramilitary police officers conducting a search at the site of the China Eastern Airlines plane crash
(Picture: CNS/AFP via Getty Images)Rescuers in China have continued their search for plane crash survivors as families wait at the airport for news.
China Eastern Airline Flight MU5735 was flying from Kunming to Guangzhou with 132 people on board when it crashed and sparked a mountainside fire in Guangxi on Monday.
There are fears of no survivors as distraught families of those onboard have gathered at a nearby airport for updates on the jet crash.
President Xi Jinping has called for a full-scale investigation and an “all-out” rescue mission.
Debris of the Boeing 737-800 charred by fire has been strewn across mountain slopes.
Burnt identity cards and wallets were seen at the crash site, state media reported.
"Wreckage of the plane was found at the scene, but up until now, none of those aboard the plane with whom contact was lost have been found," state broadcaster CCTV said.
Drones and a manual search would be used to trace the location of the black boxes which hold the flight data and cockpit voice recorders that are essential to plane crash investigations.
The plane was flying at 29,000 feet when it suddenly entered a steep and fast dive around 2.20pm local time, according to data from FlightRadar24.com.
It created a deep pit in the mountainside, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
The number of casualties remains unknown.
Families and friends of those on board have been waiting at Guangzhou’s International Airport for more updates on their loved ones.
One woman waiting told Jiemian News: “I feel very anguished.”
The passengers and crew members have yet to be identified.
It is China’s first crash involving a commercial plane since 2010.
China Eastern is one of China’s three major air carriers.
