A Boeing 737-800 plane carrying 132 people crashed in a remote mountainous area in southern China on Monday, causing a forest fire visible from space in the worst air disaster the country has witnessed in nearly a decade.

More than seven hours after losing contact with the plane, no news of survivors has been reported.

The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration said in a statement that the accident occurred near the city of Wuzhou in Guangxi region. It added that the flight was headed from Kunming in southwestern Yunnan province to the industrial center of Guangzhou along the east coast.

Villagers were the first to arrive at the forest area where the plane crashed, causing a large fire enough to be seen on satellite images from NASA. Hundreds of rescue workers were quickly deployed from Guangxi and neighboring Guangdong province.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the plane was carrying 123 passengers and a crew of nine, correcting previous reports of 133 people on board.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "comprehensive efforts" through the rescue operation, as well as an investigation into the plane crash and ensuring full civil aviation safety.

State media reported that all 737-800 aircraft in the China Eastern fleet have been ordered to be grounded, while CCTV said the plane formed nine teams to handle aircraft disposal, investigate accidents, assist families, and address urgent matters.

Boeing, headquartered in Chicago, said it is aware of the initial reports of the crash and is "working to gather more information." Boeing's stock dropped more than 8% in early pre-market trading on Monday.

China Eastern's headquarters is in Shanghai, one of the three largest airlines in the country, operating dozens of domestic and international routes serving 248 destinations.

China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 was traveling at about 30,000 feet when the plane suddenly, after 2:20 p.m., went into a deep dive at a speed of 455 knots (523 mph, 842 km/h), according to data from FlightRadar24.com. The data indicates the plane crashed within a minute and a half of the error occurring.

The plane stopped transmitting data southwest of Wuzhou city, which has a population of 3 million in eastern Guangxi.

The incident quickly became a major topic on the Chinese Weibo platform similar to Twitter, with 1.34 billion views and 690,000 discussions. Many posts expressed condolences to the victims' families while others questioned the safety of the planes.

The twin-engine single-aisle Boeing 737 is one of the most popular planes in the world for short and medium-haul flights. China Eastern operates multiple versions of the plane, including the 737-800 and 737 Max.

The deadliest Boeing 737-800 crash occurred in January 2020, when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard mistakenly shot down a Ukraine International Airlines plane, killing all 176 people on board.

On the other hand, the 737 Max was grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes. China's aviation regulator approved the plane to return to service late last year, making the country the last major market to do so.

It is noteworthy that the last civil plane crash in China was in August 2010.

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