Rescuers in southern China searched for victims from a China Eastern Airlines jet on Tuesday after it crashed with 132 people on board and authorities said severe damage to the aircraft would make it difficult to establish the cause of the crash.

Flight MU5735 was headed on Monday for the port city of Guangzhou from Kunming, capital of the southwestern province of Yunnan, when it plunged from cruising altitude to crash in the mountains of Guangxi less than an hour before landing time.

The jet appeared to dive to the ground at an angle of about 35 degrees from the vertical in video images from a vehicle's dashboard camera, according to Chinese media. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.