No explosive components found at China plane crash site

A volunteer rider helps carry relief supplies to the site of a recent plane crash in Tengxian County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, March 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

NANNING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- No components of either common inorganic or organic explosives were present at the crash site of a China Eastern Airlines passenger plane, an official told a press briefing Saturday.

A physics and chemistry laboratory of the public security authorities has tested 41 samples out of 66 from the crash site and found no major ion components of common inorganic explosives, said Zheng Xi, head of the fire brigade of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The testing also found no regular organic explosive components, he said.

Identities of 120 people on board were confirmed, including 114 passengers and six crew members, according to the press briefing.

Rescuers from the fire service have searched a combined area of over 240,000 sq meters since March 21, said Zheng.

In addition, four peripheral search groups, with the core crash site as the starting point, have searched an area of some 750 mu (50 hectares) along the flight route, Zheng added.

An emergency locator transmitter installed close to the second black box has been recovered, said Zhu Tao, head of the aviation safety office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

As of Saturday noon, no survivors nor the second black box had been found, Zhu added.

The plane carrying 132 people crashed on March 21 in Guangxi's Tengxian County.