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TAIPEI, July 20, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Liu Kezhi (Front), secretary-general of the Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits, arrives in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, July 20, 2016. A group of four mainland officials arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon to assist families of victims of a serious tour bus accident. (Xinhua)
TAIPEI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A group of four mainland officials arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon to assist families of victims of a serious tour bus accident.
They are from various departments including the Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits. Liu Kezhi,secretary-general of the association, told press at Taoyuan Airport that the mainland group would immediately begin discussions with Taiwan authorities, including the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association, on the handling of the accident.
"My heart is very heavy at the moment," he said, adding the other task of the group was to mourn those compatriots who died in the accident and send condolences to their family members.
Twenty-six people, including 23 tourists and a tour guide from the Chinese mainland and two local people -- a driver and a tour guide -- were killed when a tour bus crashed into a highway barrier and caught fire near Taoyuan Airport in Taiwan on Tuesday.
Taiwan authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
Related:
Mainland prepared to handle Taiwan bus accident aftermath
BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office Wednesday issued a statement saying relevant mainland authorities will do their utmost to handle the aftermath of a serious bus accident in Taiwan.
According to the statement, Premier Li Keqiang has ordered relevant authorities to follow the situation and handle the aftermath properly. Full story
24 mainland tourists killed as coach catches fire in Taiwan
TAIPEI, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-six people have died after a fire on a tour bus on a highway near Taoyuan Airport on Tuesday.
Twenty-four of the victims were tourists from the northeastern province of Liaoning on the Chinese mainland and the other two fatalities were the driver and the tour guide, who were both from Taiwan, according to Taiwan authorities.
The bus had crashed into one of the outer lane barriers before the fire broke out. The investigation continues. Full story
