China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 with service from Kunming to Guangzhou crashed into a forested hillside near the city of Wuzhou in the Guangxi province at about 14:20 local time, presumably killing all onboard. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China alongside local rescue teams, there were 123 passengers and 9 crew members on the Boeing 737-800 at the time of the crash, and as of now, there are no signs of survivors at the crash site.  

Flight trackers say that the aircraft was travelling at 842 kilometers per hour (Over 520 miles per hour) at cruising altitudes when it suddenly entered a steep dive. When the Boeing 737-800 transmitted data for the last time just minutes after entering the dive, flight trackers say that the aircraft's vertical speed was about -9,500 meters per minute (-31,000 feet per minute). Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft falling near-vertically before it crashed and burst into flames.  

As of now, the cause of the incident is still unknown, though Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an immediate investigation. As a safety precaution, China Eastern Airlines announced that it will temporarily ground all Boeing 737-800s. The company also changed their website to black-and-white as a sign of mourning. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States of America also announced that it was aware of the situation, and is "ready to assist in investigation efforts" if requested.  

On the United States stock market, Boeing shares fell by nearly 8% after the crash while China Eastern Airlines' shares dipped by about 8.2%. Meanwhile in the Hong Kong stock market, China Eastern Airlines' shares were down about 6.5%.  

Note: The black-and-white website of China Eastern Airline was screenshotted on March 21st, 2021. All other images used in this article were retrieved from the public domain, and do not require citation or other reference for commercial purposes.