Tsai expresses condolence over Chinese plane crash

Taipei, March 22 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed her condolences after a Chinese civilian aircraft carrying 132 people crashed in the mountains of southern China Monday afternoon.

"President Tsai expressed her condolence to the passengers who died in this plane crash and their next of kin," Presidential spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said late Monday.

Chang said the president had expressed her hopes the ongoing search for survivors would be successful.

In a statement, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top agency responsible for cross-strait affairs, expressed its condolences over the crash, while asking Chinese authorities to verify if any Taiwanese passengers were on board.

The MAC said it was closely monitoring developments over the crash through existing cross-strait channels and Taiwan's aviation authorities, adding it had promised to offer any and all assistance necessary.

A China Eastern Airlines jetliner carrying 132 people crashed in the mountains in southern China's Guangxi region on Monday afternoon, according to China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC).

Media reports said there was no sign of survivors, and the airline said it deeply mourned the passengers and crew who had died.

The plane was flying a domestic route from the southwestern city of Kunming to Guangzhou, bordering Hong Kong.

The airline, meanwhile, said there were no foreign national passengers on board, though it was still trying to determine if any of the passengers were from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.