0
BEIJING, May 7: The bodies of three Chinese nationals who were killed in the Gwadar bomb blast on Monday arrived in their hometown, Tianjin, some 100km from here, on Friday. The bodies were flown from Karachi to China by a special C-130 aircraft.
Communication Minister Babar Khan Ghauri accompanied the coffins. Some wounded Chinese workers also returned by the same plane. They would now be treated at local hospitals, said an official of the Chinese health ministry.
Talking to APP, he appreciated the support and help extended by the government of Pakistan for their treatment. He also thanked the Pakistan government for help in shifting the bodies and treating the injured. Officials of the Chinese government, Pakistan embassy in Beijing and relatives of the blast victims were present at the airport.
COMPENSATION: A compensation cheque of $145,000 for the Chinese engineers and workers, who were killed or injured in the blast, was handed over to Chinese Consul-General in Karachi Sun Chun Ye here on Friday.
The cheque was presented by Karachi Port Trust chairman Vice-Admiral Ahmed Hayat. China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) president Liu Huai Yuan was also present at the ceremony held at a local hotel.
Admiral Hayat later told APP that Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali had approved a summary on Thursday for provision of compensation to the engineers and workers of the CHEC, who were killed or injured in the Gwadar blast.
Admiral Hayat said that an amount of $25,000 each had been given as compensation to the three Chinese engineers who were killed in the blast. For the four seriously injured personnel an amount of $10,000 each had been given, while the six who were not critically injured would get $5,000 each. Two Pakistani nationals were also injured in the incident - a driver and a security guard. -APP
