One of two black boxes from the China Eastern plane which crashed on Monday has been found in a severely damaged condition, investigators have said.

The recorder is so damaged that they are not able to tell whether it is the flight data recorder or the cockpit voice recorder.

Flight MU5735, a Boeing 737-800 carrying 132 passengers and crew, was travelling from Kunming to Guangzhou when it plunged from cruising altitude and crashed into mountains in Guangxi.

No survivors have been found so far.

Mao Yanfeng, the director of the accident investigation division of the Civil Aviation Authority of China, told a news conference that an all-out effort is being made to find the other black box.

Heavy rain has halted the search so far and rain water has filled the crater in the soft soil caused by the impact of the crash, state television reported.

Earlier, searchers had used hand tools, drones and sniffer dogs under rainy conditions to comb the heavily forested slopes for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, as well as any human remains.

Boeing’s share price slides following crash of 737-800 in China

Former Boeing pilot charged over 737 Max issue which contributed to fatal crashes

Two passengers sue United Airlines after Boeing 777 engine catches fire in mid-air

The local weather bureau in the Guangxi region said there was a risk of landslides, torrents and high winds as conditions deteriorate in the area.

Video clips posted by China’s state media showed small pieces of the aircraft scattered over the area.

Mud-stained wallets, bank and identity cards have also been recovered. Each piece of debris has a number next to it, the larger ones marked off by police tape.

Relatives of passengers began arriving Wednesday at the gate to Lu village just outside the crash zone, where they, along with reporters on the scene, were stopped by police and officials who used opened umbrellas to block the view beyond.

Related posts:

Pregnant women and their unborn babies dying in Brazil as COVID deaths set to pass 500k mark Man loses hand after violent clashes between police and ravers in France ‘Inconsistent with our values’: Ben & Jerry’s to stop selling ice cream in Israeli-occupied territories People trapped on subway trains and in cars after terrifying floods in China Norway’s beach handball team fined for wearing shorts not bikini bottoms ‘We are at the mercy of the volcano’: No end in sight to La Palma eruption, officials say Myanmar junta chief says military govt committed to restoring peace Three children killed in Ethiopia airstrike in ‘alarming conflict escalation’, UN says Europe imposes lockdown restrictions as fourth wave of coronavirus surges India to withdraw controversial laws that sparked year-long protests from thousands of farmers Oil marches towards $100 a barrel as markets watch Ukraine crisis deepen Germany halts approval of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia