Chinese president sends condolences over ferry disaster (Xinhua) Updated: 2006-02-04 16:11
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday sent separate messages of condolences
to the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia after the Egyptian ferry Al Salaam 98
carrying some 1,400 people aboard sank in the Red Sea.
In the messages,
Hu, on behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his own name, offered
the deepest condolences over the loss of life in the ferry tragedy in which
hundreds were feared drowned.
The Chinese president also extends his
sincerest sympathies to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah
bin Abdul Aziz, to the governments and peoples of the two countries and to the
bereaved families and survivors.
The Egyptian ship Al Salaam 98, with
1,310 passengers and 104 crew members, 22 cars, 16 trucks on board, disappeared
from the radar screens shortly after it left the Saudi port of Dubah at 7:30
p.m. local time (1630 GMT) on Thursday.
Rescuers have already
recovered 185 bodies and at least 327 passengers have been
rescued.
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