Chinese President, Premier urge all-out efforts to save passengers injured in plane crash

A man wounded in the air crashed is sent to a hospital in Yichun City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Aug. 25, 2010. A passenger plane with 96 people on board crashed late Tuesday night near the Yichun airport. At least 42 people were confirmed dead while the remaining 54 have been rescued and sent to hospitals. (Xinhua/Sun Yingwei)
Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday called for all-out efforts to save the passengers injured in Tuesday's Yichun plane crash.

They also ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and thorough inspections within the civil aviation system to eliminate any safety risks.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, who is heading a work team sent by the State Council, arrived Yichun early Wednesday to guide the emergency work.

Zhang was briefed about the accident and the rescue work, and visited the crash site and local hospitals where the injured were being treated.

Families of the victims should get good treatment, Zhang said.

Zhang also called for accurate, timely and objective news reports on the accident.

The Henan Airlines aircraft carrying 91 passengers and five crew crashed late Tuesday near Lindu airport on the outskirts of Yichun, killing 42 people and injuring 54 others.

According to the Heilongjiang provincial government's initial investigation and survivors' accounts, no fire or explosion occurred in the aircraft before its landing. The investigation found no signs of sabotage.

The black boxes from the aircraft were retrieved and the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Source: Xinhua