Martin Quin Pollard, Thomas Suen

WUZHOU, China (Reuters) – As recovery teams searched mountainous terrain for victims of Monday’s plane crash https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-launches-inspection-airlines-search-crash-victims-continue-2022-03-23 in southern China, a man surnamed Zhang whose nephew was among the 132 people aboard the Boeing (NYSE:) 737-800 said his biggest hope, of finding him alive, was unrealistic.

Zhang, a retired man in his 60s asked not to be identified. He had driven Tuesday with his son from Shenzhen’s southern city.

He said to Reuters Wednesday that he hoped “the country can thoroughly examine this matter, and find out if it is manufacturer’s fault oder a maintenance problem.”

“I brought my son with me and planned to stay for as long as the matter was sorted out. Then I would take his ashes back. However, this is dependent on the efforts of the government,” said he.

Numerous family members gathered in large groups or in pairs at the checkpoint in Teng county, southern China’s Guangxi on Wednesday. Others arrived with officials in convoys of the government.

Zhang’s nephew in his 40s, surnamed Sun, lived with his wife, two sons, and in Nanjing in eastern China. The man worked as a water conservationist and was on a business trip.

It appears that most of the jet has been destroyed upon impact. No survivors have been discovered.

“To begin with… Zhang recalls feeling shocked by the news during heavy rain, when he was forced to speak slowly and hold back tears.

Zhang attempted to offer lunchboxes to the reporters as he talked to them, claiming that they were hungry.

He said, “About half an hours later, I discovered that someone from my household was aboard this plane. You can imagine how it feels.”

He said, “Such an awful disaster, the entire country feels hurt,” after hearing about Monday’s crash, China’s first fatal airline accident in more than a decade.

An additional relative was also present at the site. A man aged 57 named Ding, whose sister-in-law and brother were on board the plane, did not give up hope.

He said, “All that I desire is hope and the possibility of survival.”