President Hu urges proper handling of aftermath of ROK explosion

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for the proper handling of the aftermath of Monday's explosion and subsequent fire in the Republic of Korea (ROK) which killed 12 Chinese citizens, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

; Hu told relevant departments in China to keep in close contact with the ROK side and make active efforts in the rescue and treatment of the wounded.

The explosion occurred on Monday morning in the basement of a two-story warehouse in Icheon, which led to 40 deaths including 12 Chinese. The ROK government also confirmed that one Chinese was seriously injured in the accident.

President Hu urged authorities of both sides to provide convenience to relatives of the victims for their trip to the ROK. He extended his deep condolences to all the dead in the accident.

Premier Wen Jiabao also required relevant departments to try their best to rescue the wounded and settle the aftermath.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in ROK have triggered off emergency mechanism to cope with the issue. The 12 Chinese victims will be identified in two weeks by DNA tests, said an official with the Chinese embassy.

Chinese Ambassador to ROK Ning Fukui met with ROK Assistant Foreign Minister Shim Yoon-jo Tuesday morning and expressed great concerns over the accident.

Ning urged the ROK government to take appropriate measures to deal with the casualties during the meeting.

Yan Fenglan, the consul general of the Chinese embassy in Seoul, arrived in Icheon early Tuesday to handle the matter.

Yan told Xinhua that she is working with ROK officials to confirm the identities of the victims and discuss afterwards measures.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said Tuesday afternoon the Ministry and the embassy in ROK are closely following the matter.