Relatives of Overseas Air Crash Victims Arrive in Dalian

Family members of six overseas victims of the "May 7" air crash have arrived in Dalian, a port city in northeast China's Liaoning Province, to identify the bodies of their beloved ones.

However, rescue workers have failed to find any of the overseas victims' bodies from sea water so far, though more than 70 bodies have been retrieved from the sea near the port of Dalian, the site of the air crash. Proper arrangement has been made for the relatives of the overseas victims, said Shan Chunchang, an official for the rescue work of the air crash.

According to the relevant aviation department, seven passengers from overseas died in the air crash. The relatives of the remaining one victim have not come here yet.

On behalf of Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji, Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo visited the site of the May 7 air crash of a China Northern Airlines passenger plane off the coast of Dalian on Friday. He made a special visit to relatives of the Japanese victims and extended condolences to them. The relatives of the Japanese victims expressed their satisfaction over the proper arrangement by the Chinese government.

( May 11, 2002)