China today launched a high-level probe into the death of a boy who fell from the landing gear of a passenger plane during take off yesterday at the Dunhuang Airport in northwest China. A joint group of officials dispatched by the Northwest China Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) arrived in Dunhuang Airport and started an investigation on the circumstances leading to the accident.
Business at the airport of Dunhuang, a well-known tourist resort known for its Buddhist grottoes, remained unaffected by the incident, said the airport authority.
The boy, about 10 years old, fell from the undercarriage of a China Eastern Airlines A320 plane when it was taking off about 7.50 am Wednesday, and died at the scene.
The plane continued its flight after the accident and landed safely at the destination of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu, one hour and 25 minutes later. The identity of the boy is still unknown.
The Gansu branch of the airlines said the landing gear is usually retracted about 15 meters above the ground and the boy might have fallen out of the plane from that height.
Officials with CAAC last night blamed the incident on lax safety measures at the airport and ordered a thorough investigation of the tragedy.
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