Xi expresses sympathies as nations grieve
Messages sent to Indonesia, Iraq, Chad as these countries mourn loss of lives
President Xi Jinping on April 27 sent a message of condolence to Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the recent sinking of an Indonesian navy submarine.
In his message, Xi said he was saddened to learn that the navy submarine had sunk at sea, leaving many crew members aboard dead.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people as well as in his own name, Xi offered his deep condolences over the victims and expressed sincere sympathy to the bereaved families.
The Indonesian military confirmed on April 25 that the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine, which went missing on April 21, had been found on the sea floor off the island of Bali, and that the vessel had broken into three parts.
The diesel-powered submarine had been in service in Indonesia since 1981 and was carrying 53 crew members when it sank during a drill.
Widodo on April 26 expressed condolences to the families of the crew members aboard the German-built submarine. In an address to the nation, he also said that the government would pay for the education of the children of the crew members.
Grieving relatives gathered on the seashore in Bali on April 26 to pay their respects to the sailors who perished, and urged the authorities to retrieve their bodies from the depths.
Experts say it will be a daunting task to lift the submarine to the surface from the deep water, requiring specialized salvage equipment, Reuters reported.
Also on April 27, President Xi sent a letter of sympathy to Iraqi President Barham Salih over a deadly hospital fire.
On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi offered in the message his deep condolences over the victims and expressed sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the injured.
Xinhua quoted a statement from the Iraqi Independent High Commission for Human Rights as saying that the death toll in the hospital fire on
the night of April 24 might reach 130.
According to the IHCHR team, the fire was caused by an explosion of an oxygen cylinder in the Ibn alKhatib Hospital dedicated to treating coronavirus patients in the east of the capital Baghdad, the statement added.
The hospital fire prompted Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to suspend Minister of Health Hassan alTamimi and launch an investigation into the deadly incident.
The fire happened as Iraq is grappling with a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Daily cases now average around 8,000, the highest level since Iraq began recording infection rates last year.
On April 28, President Xi sent condolences to Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, head of Chad’s transitional military council, over the passing of Chadian president Idriss Deby.
In the name of the Chinese government and people and in his own
name, Xi expressed his deep condolences over Deby’s sudden death, and his sincere sympathy to the Chadian government and people as well as the family members of late president Deby.
Deby had led the people of Chad in defending its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, Xi said. Deby, 68, died on April 20 following injuries received at the front line when he commanded the forces fighting rebels from Libya.