Crashed Chinese military plane was surveillance aircraft: Reports

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=e00e1432-826b-45a7-9391-0944fa7bb9ad&k=23617

Christopher Bodeen, Canadian Press
Published: Tuesday, June 06, 2006

China (AP) - A Chinese military plane that crashed killing all 40 people on board was a surveillance aircraft carrying nearly three dozen electronics experts, a pair of Beijing-backed newspapers reported.

Despite those reports, a Defence Ministry spokesman said Tuesday he had no new information on Sunday's crash, which the government says is being investigated under direct orders from Chinese President Hu Jintao. An official with the local government in Guangde county where the plane went down refused to give any details on the crash or recovery efforts.

Neither official would give his name, as is common among Chinese bureaucrats.

The newspaper Ta Kung Pao said Monday the crash was the People's Liberation Army's worst-ever aviation disaster, although that was impossible to confirm due to the intense secrecy surrounding China's military.

The paper, along with another Beijing-supported publication, Wen Wei Po, said 35 of those killed were electronics experts and that the five other victims were the plane's crew.

[peacetalksforall]

1. Just looked up the County - it seems to be home to many companies

manufacturing products related to chemistry. It's in Anhui Province - in eastern China. Inland - one province inland from the sea.