China expresses condolences after Iceland bus crash

China on Thursday expressed condolences after a bus carrying 44 Chinese tourists crashed in icy conditions in Iceland on Wednesday, leaving one dead and 11 injured.

“The Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassy in Iceland are paying a great deal of attention to the accident, and the embassy launched an emergency response mechanism immediately,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news conference in Beijing.

According to Hua, the embassy has sent personnel to the hospital to visit and comfort the injured tourists, and asked authorities in Iceland to conduct a thorough investigation into the accident.

The embassy also required all-out efforts to treat and cure the injured, and urged travel agencies involved to fulfill their responsibilities and deal with the aftermath of the accident, Hua said.

“The ministry and embassy will continue to closely follow the latest developments, and actively provide necessary assistance to Chinese tourists involved,” she added.