Chinese officials confirmed on Saturday the death of all 132 passengers who were onboard the China Eastern Airlines flight that crashed in the southern province of Guangxi on Monday as they continue a frantic search to determine what caused the tragic accident.
Chinese state media outlet China Daily reported the deaths of 123 passengers and nine crew members on the Boeing 737-800 plane, citing confirmation from the country’s Civil Aviation Administration.
Rescue personnel had combed through mountainous, forested land and deployed rescue vehicles this week when searching for any survivors, but reported they had seen no signs of life.
Investigators have retrieved 183 pieces of equipment from the crash site, including one black box containing communications between the plane’s three pilots, which would play back the final moments of the flight before the plane nosedived.
Chinese investigators are still searching for a second black box containing a flight data recorder.