China finds 2nd black box days after plane with 132 aboard crashed: Report

Soon after there were reports that China on Friday found a second black box, days after a plane with 132 aboard crashed, state-run Xinhua news agency said the flight data recorder was yet to be found.

Searchers had found the first flight data recorder on Wednesday – it’s being analysed in Beijing. Xi Jinping had called for an all-out probe on Monday soon after the plane was reported to have nosedived from a height of 29,000 feet. Engine is among the 183 parts that have been found so far, according to reports. No survivors were found.

Hundreds of workers are still carrying out combing operation at the crash site, which began Monday. The plane is believed to have plunged at the speed of sound, data shows. Officials on Thursday said some human remains were recovered. In forested hills in southern China, visuals showed the searchers in rain gear and gum boots.

A Boeing 737-800, believed to be relatively safer, was involved in the accident. It was delivered to the China Eastern, one of the country’s four major airlines, in 2015, and had flown 8,986 times, Xinhua News Agency said. A total of 223 Boeing 737-800 aircraft have been grounded by the carrier as a precaution.

The aviation sector in the country, which is already facing the brunt of a surge in Covid cases, is set to further get affected by the plane crash incident. Mass cancellations were reported after the accident.

Airlines, mines, chemical plants and construction companies have been urged by the government to tighten safety measures.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said talks were ongoing with Beijing over dispatching an expert to participate in the investigation, as is standard when the planes involved are from American manufacturers.

“Travel to China is currently limited by visa and COVID quarantine requirements. We are working with the Department of State to address those issues with the Chinese government before any travel will be determined,” NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson said in a statement.