Vladimir Putin offers condolences to Xi Jinping over China Eastern Boeing 737 plane crash

Russia's President Vladimir Putin offered condolences to the victims of the China Eastern's Boeing 737-800NG plane crash.  “Dear Mr. President [Xi Jinping], please accept our sincere condolences for the loss of passengers and crew of the flight from Kunming to Guangzhou,” the Kremlin said in a statement, citing the Russian leader.

Putin added that he shared the pain of those who lost their families and loved ones in that tragedy. China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 carrying 132 passengers on board crashed in a deep dive whilst its journey from Kunming, in Yunnan province, to Guangzhou, towards Guangdong. The flight could not reach its destination and suffered a deadly accident in the forested hillside of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 

Russia PM expresses grief and condolences

Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin also sent condolences to his Chinese counterpart. "On behalf of the government of the Russian Federation and on my own behalf I express my deep condolences to you in connection with the death of people in the crash of a China Eastern Airlines plane," said the telegram posted on the government website. "We share the grief and pain of the friendly Chinese people," Mishustin said.

He also asked the Chinese prime minister to convey words of sympathy to the next-of-kin of the victims. Chinese President Xi Jinping had earlier called for immediate activation of the emergency mechanism for the passenger plane, sparing no efforts on search and rescue operation and proper handling of the aftermath. He has also ordered swift action to identify the cause of the crash.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday also expressed 'shock' over the unfortunate incident where a China Eastern Boeing 737 passenger plane crashed into a mountain range in Tengxian County in the city of Wuzhou. Taking to Twitter to convey his grief over the incident, PM Modi wrote, "Deeply shocked and saddened to learn about the crash of the passenger flight MU5735 with 132 onboard in China’s Guangxi. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the crash and their family members." Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, in response, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for offering prayers and sympathy over the Eastern Boeing 737 passenger plane crash.