Lin Chunmei, 34, and Cai Xianyang, 32, both from Putian of coastal Fujian Province, were killed at a bus station near the crowded Mahne-Yehuda open market on Friday afternoon. Another two Chinese were seriously injured.

The death toll quickly rose to seven with about 70 injured in the latest of a series of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.

Heart-broken Chen Jinying, who has been fighting chronic disease, told China Daily that she was eager to leave for Jerusalem to bid farewell to her dead husband Lin Chunmei.

Chen said her husband had been working on construction projects in Jerusalem to "earn their son's education tuition."

Her mother-in-law, aged 76, had still not been informed of the bad news.

Lin's fellow villager, 41-year-old Lin Jinmou, and Chen Yongjun, 32, who was from Xiamen of the province, were seriously wounded in the blast and are still fighting for their lives in a Jerusalem hospital.

Family members of Lin Jinmou, whose left hand and leg have already been amputated by doctors during emergency operations, are also trying to see the injured in Jerusalem.

The Chinese victims were from Zhongfu Labor Export Company of Fujian Province.

Shi Hongsheng, general manager of the company, said the company would try its best to fulfill their request.

The company had taken out insurance cover for the laborers and the compensation is US$20,000 for each.

"But the workers were killed or injured in the war and it is a different case," Shi said.

The families called on both sides of the war to cease fighting as soon as possible.

"If there is no peace, there will be no guarantee of life," said Lin Chunhui, Lin Chunmei's brother.

Palestinian and Israeli embassies in China all expressed their sympathy for Chinese victims.

Palestinian ambassador to China Moustapha Saphariny said he was shocked by the bombing.

"Our friendly Chinese people were definitely not bombing targets; Israeli troops' attacks on Palestine were the reason for the bombing," Beijing Youth Daily quoted the ambassador as saying.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on Saturday that China condemned violence targeted at innocent civilians and strongly called for Israel and Palestine to stop fighting as soon as possible to prevent more people from being killed and injured.

The government also urged Chinese people in Israel and those planning to go there to take great care and stay in frequent touch with their families and contact the Chinese embassy in Israel in case of emergency, Zhang said.

(China Daily April 15, 2002)