Chinese president expresses "sympathy" over Cote d'Ivoire stampede

ABIDJAN, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has expressed his "sympathy" and "compassion" to his Cote d'Ivoire counterpart Alassane Ouattara following the stampede that left 63 people dead and 50 others injured on New Year's Eve.

"On behalf of the government, the people of China and on my own behalf, I would like to express my sympathy and compassion, through you, to the Cote d'Ivoire people," Hu wrote in a letter addressed to Ouattara.

The Chinese president said he had learnt about the news with "immense sadness" and presented his "deepest condolences" to the victims.

A stampede occurred during a fireworks display organized in Cote d'Ivoire's economic capital Abidjan on New Year's Eve, causing chaos and heavy casualties.

Ouattara, after visits to the scene of the tragedy and the injured in hospital, declared a three- day national mourning.

The government has also set a "Crisis Committee" to take care of the victims. The committee has promised that within "72 hours," it will release the results of the autopsies on the dead bodies as well as the results of the inquiry into the cause of the stampede.

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