Forced landing in Gansu after terrorist warning

LANZHOU - An International passenger plane made a forced landing in northwest China's Gansu Province on Monday afternoon after receiving an anonymous terrorist threat, airline and local security sources confirmed.

Sources with China Southern Airlines told Xinhua that the plane, CZ680, traveling from Istanbul to Beijing via Urumqi, made a forced landing in Gansu Zhongchuan Airport hours after it took off from Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The plane was scheduled to take off from Urumqi at 2:30 pm and land in Beijing at 5:50 pm, according to the flight's timetable.

Sources with the airport and the local provincial government said the plane made its forced landing in Gansu at around 5:30 pm.

All people onboard were evacuated by 5:45 pm, they said.

The sources added that officials with the local public security department are handling the incident.