CHANGCHUN -- A Taiwanese tourist, who was seriously injured in Monday's fatal
bus crash in northeastern Jilin Province, was on his way to Beijing for further
treatment.
A special plane from the Beijing International SOS Medical Center, carrying 69-year-old
Yen Wenhsiong left the Yanji Airport in the Korean Autonomous Prefecture
of Yanbian, Jilin Province, at 23: 45 Wednesday for Beijing.
While, Yen 60-year-old wife, Yang Suiying, another seriously-wounded in the
accident, was receiving treatment in the Yanbian Hospital, said Wei Jiuping,
head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Yanbian prefecture.
Yen, who suffered compound injuries, would be sent to the Beijing-based China-Japan
Friendship Hospital for further treatment, said a manager of the Beijing
International SOS Medical Center, who just gave his surname as He.
Yen's son, who arrived at Yanji on Tuesday night, agreed to send his father
to Beijing and the SOS center has arranged most experienced crew for this flight
and the fight itself would not pose negative effect to Yen's health, said He.
Yen had been in a critical condition since he underwent surgeries on Monday
afternoon. But he shows signs of recovery on Wednesday morning, said Jin
Chenmin, deputy director of the prefecture's health bureau.
The traffic accident occurred at 9:40 a.m. on Monday on a highway in Wangqing
County when the 20-member Taiwanese tourist group was traveling from
Heilongjiang Province to Jilin. Their bus overturned and plunged into a river
along the 51-km Laosong Highway.
Two Taiwanese women and the bus driver from the Chinese mainland were killed.
The dead tourists were 66-year-old Lee Lin Ching-miao and Leu Hsiu-ching, 62.
The other 18 tourists were all injured.
Two senior doctors sent by the Ministry of Health arrived at Yanji to join
local medical experts to help treat the injured people.
Family members of the victims have gradually arrived at Yanji, capital of
Yanbian prefecture, to deal with the aftermath of the accident.
The Yanbian Hospital had briefly reported a shortage of type A blood after it
received the tourists, according to Jin.
Local health authorities sent a message to local residents via the media. By
Wednesday noon, 59 local residents had donated blood, some of which was given to
the injured tourists.