An airliner that crashed in northern China exploded seconds after take-off and “broke into flaming fragments” before plunging into an ice-covered lake, killing 54 people, but investigators found no evidence of terrorism, reports said today.

A PASSENGER plane crashed into a lake in northern China immediately after take-off yesterday, killing all 53 people aboard and two others on the ground.

A passenger plane crashed into a lake today in northern China immediately after take-off, killing all 53 people aboard and two others on the ground, the government said.