Firefighters conduct search and rescue work near the site where a passenger plane with 132 people aboard crashed in Tengxian county in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on March 21, 2022. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

SEOUL – Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un has sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping to offer condolences over the crash of a Chinese airliner on Monday, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. 

A search was under way around heavily forested slopes for victims and flight recorders from a China Eastern Airlines jet after it crashed on Monday in the mountains of southern Guangxi with 132 people on board. 

ALSO READ: Rescue efforts underway after Guanxi plane crash

In a message sent on Monday, Kim expressed "deep sympathy and condolences" to Xi, victims and their bereaved families, the official KCNA news agency said. 

"He sincerely hoped that the Chinese people would eradicate the after-effects of the accident as early as possible and the bereaved family members would overcome sorrow and lead a stabilized life," it said.