Chinese plane crashes into sea; 60 bodies retrieved

A relative of a plane-crash victim sits shell-shocked after seeing the victim's name-list on arrival at Dailian Airport

DALIAN, China (CNN) -- Rescue workers early Wednesday were recovering bodies from a China Northern Airlines plane that crashed into the sea Tuesday off the Chinese city of Dalian in Liaoning Province.

The Xinhua News Agency reported 60 bodies had been found and officials said prospects were dim for any of the 112 people aboard the plane.

The agency said China Northern Flight 6136 crashed after the captain reported a fire in the cabin. Officials said more than 30 boats have been dispatched to the Dalian Bay in search of survivors.

Xinhua quoted airline officials as saying there were 103 passengers plus a crew of nine on board. The agency said eight non-Chinese were among the passengers -- from Japan, South Korea and other countries yet to be identified.

AUDIO CNN Beijing Bureau Chief Jamie FlorCruz with the latest news on the crash 420 KB / 1 min WAV sound   RESOURCES Chronology: Major air disasters in Asia

Rescue teams have recovered parts of the plane wreckage, the agency said. Crews found a pushcart used for serving food that had been burned black and split in two.

The plane was on a flight from Beijing when it went down about 20 kilometers east of Dalian, in northeast China. Dalian is a coastal resort city.

The plane was an MD-82, one of several MD-80 models.

The aircraft made several circles before suddenly plunging into the sea with its lights out, Xinhua quoted Dalian port worker Liu Jiqing as saying.

RESOURCES Boeing MD-80

Another worker at Dalian port said he was surprised by the noise of the impact.

"Ambulances and police poured in and I knew it was a crash," he told Reuters.

Xinhua said most of those aboard were residents of Dalian, which faces the sea on three sides.

The accident came at the end of China's week-long labor day holiday, a time when millions of Chinese travel within the country, suggesting many aboard were returning home for the resumption of business Wednesday morning, Associated Press reports.

An emergency services officer at the airport, who said he had just returned from the crash site, said the plane had broken into pieces, which were floating on the water. AP says. "It disintegrated," the officer said.

DNA testing

This China Northern Airlines Boeing MD-82 twin-engine airliner, shown in a 1997 photo, is the same model of plane that crashed off the coast of China on Tuesday.

He refused to give his name or other details.

Police reported they had begun DNA testing to identify victims.

According to Boeing spokesman Tom Ryan, the plane was delivered by McDonald-Douglas in July 1991. It had 26,000 hours and was operated for China Northern Airlines by Swan Air.

The Boeing MD-80 model, a quiet, fuel-efficient twinjet, was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in August 1980 and entered airline service in October the same year.

Swissair and Austrian Airlines began the first service, and American Airlines operates the largest number of MD-80s, a fleet of 275.

Thirty-five MD-80 airplanes were assembled and are operating in China.