Crash Victims' Relatives Ask for Joint Search with Mainland

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, May 28, 2002

Crash Victims' Relatives Ask for Joint Search with Mainland

Relatives of victims of the airline crash in the Taiwan Straits are demanding that Taiwan officials work with Chinese mainland counterparts in speeding up the recovery of bodies and debris.

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Relatives of victims of the airline crash in the Taiwan Straits are demanding that Taiwan officials work with Chinese mainland counterparts in speeding up the recovery of bodies and debris.

Although more staff and equipment have joined the rescue team since the operation began on Saturday immediately after the crash which killed 225 passengers and crew, only about one-third of the victims have been found.

Relatives of victims who went to the island of Penghu to collect their remains argued with the rescue team this morning.

Taiwan's China Airlines, which owned the crashed Boeing 747-200aircraft, has forbidden reporters to enter the reception room for victims' relatives.

One family member told Xinhua indignantly, "We have complaints,but no way to speak out."

Hearing that some bodies might sink with parts of the jet and not be found, "all of us become more worried", said the relative who declined to give his name.

Some said that they could not understand why the Taiwan authorities had not resolved to ask for help from all sources until the third day.

Helicopters and rescue workers from Hong Kong were ready to offer help, but were rejected by Taiwan. They were told that Taiwan did not need assistance and returned to Hong Kong.

One man asked the head of Taiwan's communications department, "My father was going to northeast China. How come he died at Penghu?Why don't we have direct transportation with the mainland?"

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