Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 16, 2002
President Kim Dae-Jung Condoles Over Victims of China Air Crash
South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung on Monday expressed condolences to the families of victims in the crash of a Chinese passenger plane near the South Korean city of Busan in the day, and demanded all-out rescue efforts in dealing with the deadly air disaster.
South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung on Monday expressed condolences to the families of victims in the crash of a Chinese passenger plane near the South Korean city of Busan in the day, and demanded all-out rescue efforts in dealing with the deadly air disaster.
As of 0600 GMT, the number of survivors from the air crash has risen to 49 while previous reports have put the number at 39. And those survivors, including 10 Chinese nationals, have been rushed to hospitals for medical treatment, according to local television reports.
Meanwhile, the "black box," a flight data recorder that can help investigators determine what caused the accident, has been recovered from the wreckage of the crashed airliner with 166 people on board.
All the fires at the crash scene had finally been put out four hours after the crash, said a fire department official.
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea, which sent an Accident Management Team to the crash scene, is in close contact with South Korean Foreign Ministry and other departments in handling the aviation accident.
According to the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), an Air China Boeing 767-200 passenger plane crashed into an apartment building near Pusan airport amid foggy weather and poor visibility.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. And rescue efforts, being hampered by rugged terrain in the woody area, are underway despite of foggy and rainy weather.