The Chinese government has sent a letter of sympathy to relatives of victims from the Dashun shipwreck, which occurred November 24 near the coastal city of Yantai in Shandong Province, east China.

The letter, dated November 28, was jointly sent by a special investigation panel of China's State Council, the Shandong provincial government and the Yantai city government.

It said that the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission attached great importance to the ongoing rescue efforts.

Despite the difficulties caused by the bad weather at the site, the rescue workers, including soldiers, police, port officials, medical workers and local cadres and residents, are trying every possible way to carry out the operations, it said.

The victims of the accident will be dealt with carefully and compensation for the dead will be handled in line with relevant government regulations, said the letter.

Intense investigations are underway and those proved responsible will be dealt with seriously, it said.

The letter called on the people to turn grief into strength and work more diligently to promote the country's reform, opening-up and socialist modernization drive.