N. China plane crash kills 53

cctv.com 11-21-2004 15:01

A commuter plane owned by China Eastern Airlines has crashed into a frozen lake in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, killing all 53 people on board.

The accident happened early this morning seconds after takeoff from Baotou city airport. A rescue team rushed to the scene together with staff members from the airline and the People's Insurance Company of China. About 100 firefighters and police broke the ice in their search for bodies. Thirty-six have been recovered so far, and a fire caused by burning jet fuel on the ground has been put out. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.

Editor:Hu  Source:CCTV.com