Air investigators have found one of the two black boxes from the crashed China Eastern Airlines jetliner.
It could answer questions as to how and why the crash occurred.
The flight recorder was found on Wednesday and is badly damaged, said Liu Lusong, CAAC spokesperson.
“At present, it is unclear whether it is a data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder,” said Mao Yanfeng, another CAAC official.
The Boeing 737-800 plane crashed near Wuzhou in southern China shortly after losing contact with air traffic control.
Progress has been slow as rescuers suspended the search due to heavy rains.
“With the rain, visibility has been poor, introducing a certain degree of difficulty into the rescue operation,” said Zheng Xi, chief of the fire and rescue service.
No survivors have been located.
President Xi Jinping ordered an urgent investigation into the crash.
