China's mainland officials on Friday visited the two Taiwanese tourists who were injured in Monday's bus crash in Jilin Province and being treated in Beijing.

Officials from the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Health and the health department of Beijing visited the two injured at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and the Beijing Friendship Hospital.

Yen Wenhsiong, a 69-year-old man, suffered serious chest injuries, fractured ribs and lung damage. He underwent an operation on his trachea Thursday at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

Gao Haipeng, assistant to the president of the hospital, said Yen is not out of danger.

Tseng Mingmei, a 66-year-old lady, who suffered broken ribs and spinal damage, is in better condition than Yen. She can breathe without the help of machine.

"It is a good sign, but she is still in a serious situation," said Xie Miaorong, the doctor with the Beijing Friendship Hospital who is in charge of Tseng's treatment.

The traffic accident occurred at 9:40 a.m. on Monday on a highway in Wangqing County when the 20-member Taiwanese tourist group was traveling from Heilongjiang Province to Jilin. The bus first crashed into the rail on the highway and then fell 26 meters into a river.

Two Taiwanese women and the bus driver from the Chinese mainland were killed. The dead tourists were 66-year-old Lee Lin Chingmiao and Leu Hsiuching, 62. The other 18 tourists were all injured.

Yen and Tseng were transferred to Beijing while the 16 other injured, including Yen's 60-year-old wife, Yang Suiying, are receiving treatment in the Yanbian Hospital in Jilin and are all in a stable condition.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2006)