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MU5735 crash
ChinaPolitics

Public report promised into China Eastern Airlines crash as rescue mission ends

  • The rescue missions are officially over, with black boxes recovered and DNA testing of victims’ relatives complete
  • Politburo Standing Committee calls for investigation results to be released in timely and transparent manner

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A rescue worker with a piece of debris at the plane’s crash site in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo: AP
Phoebe ZhangandGuo Rui
Chinese aviation authorities have pledged to publish a report on the results of an investigation into the China Eastern Airlines plane crash within 30 days of the accident.
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It came as President Xi Jinping called for nationwide safety inspections in the sector at a Politburo Standing Committee meeting on the tragedy on Thursday. Also discussed was the need to support the families of the victims and for investigation results to be released in a timely and transparent manner, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Zhu Tao, aviation safety chief at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told reporters earlier on Thursday that all rescue missions had been completed, with both black boxes found and all DNA testing of the victims’ relatives concluded.

He said more than 40,000 pieces of plane wreckage had been found and transferred to storage to be cleaned and investigated.

Flight MU5735 crashed in mountainous terrain in Teng county, near the city of Wuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, en route to Guangzhou on March 21. There were no survivors.

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Authorities on Monday said they had identified all 132 passengers and crew through DNA testing. It was China’s worst air disaster in decades.

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