No survivors in military plane catastrophe
President mourns 40 dead heroes, sends top general to investigate crash
President Hu Jintao last night mourned the death of 40 people killed in a military plane crash in Anhui province - offering the first official confirmation that none survived the tragedy.
Xinhua said in a late despatch that the transport plane crashed on Saturday and all on board were killed.
'Those people who died have done their duty and made valuable contributions to our national defence and the sacred task of modernisation of the military,' Mr Hu said in the condolence telegram. 'Their heroic names and deeds will forever be remembered by the state and the people.'
According to Xinhua, General Guo Boxiong, a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, was leading a team to handle the investigation into the plane crash and the aftermath.
The high praise of Mr Hu and the despatch of General Guo to direct the investigation of the incident apparently indicated the transport plane might not be an ordinary military plane.
Earlier, state media released very little information on the crash. The China News Service said only five bodies had been found but did not state how many people were killed. The People's Liberation Army rarely releases information about military accidents.
However, villagers of the Yao village in Guangde county where the crash happened said it was clear there would be no survivors.
Yao village resident Wang Yong, 28, said he saw body parts scattered across the hill.
'I rushed to the crash scene after hearing a big explosion. I saw a very terrible scene,' he said. 'Numerous legs, arms and even torsos were spread across the hill. Many body parts were badly burned. Some were naked.'
Mr Wang said he could not say how many were killed because he had not tried to count. He said the explosion happened at about 3.30pm on Saturday and he arrived at the scene soon after with hundreds of villagers.
Police had sealed off the crash site and stopped villagers from entering the scene, Mr Wang said.
Another witness surnamed Zhu said she and her husband also rushed to the scene after the explosion. 'I was choked by the strong smoke at the scene and saw the plane had broken into several parts. I could still see thick black smoke coming out of the wreckage,' the 34-year-old villager said.
'My husband stopped me from approaching the dead bodies after seeing some villagers were vomiting when they saw the body parts.'
