Aircraft was on anti-drug mission, searching for poppy fields

A Chinese military aircraft on an anti-drug operations flight crashed in the hills of Chengde city in northern China last Friday. According to a report from the Xinhua official news agency, the aircraft's tail struck a high power tension line, which caused the crash. All five persons aboard the aircraft perished.

According to government reports, the plane was searching for illegal poppy fields. Among the dead was the head of the anti-drug squad in the city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei, Liu Hongfei. The other fatalities were the deputy head of criminal investigations in the city, two police officers and the pilot of the aircraft.

Local authorities said that local villagers reported the crash after witnessing it and helping extinguish the fire. The type of aircraft involved in the crash was not known at press time.

The city of Chengde is a historical 18th century imperial resort located some 255 km from Beijing; it was the largest royal summer resort of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is also popular as a tourist attraction due to the well known remnants of the largest royal gardens in China.

FMI: www.xinhuanet.com/english/