Chinese President Xi extends condolences over Bangladeshi airliner crash

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday extended condolences over the Bangladeshi airliner crash in Nepal a day earlier, in which 49 people were killed and 22 others injured.

In messages sent to President Md. Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh and President Bidya Devi Bhandari of Nepal, Xi expressed regret over the crash and the heavy casualties it had caused.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, and on his own behalf, Xi expressed deep condolences to the victims' families.

On the same day, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also sent condolence messages to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh and Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of Nepal.

The privately-run US-Bangla Airlines plane with 71 people aboard crashed while landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport in capital Kathmandu and burst into flames. Of the 67 passengers, 32 were from Bangladesh, 33 from Nepal and one each from China and the Maldives.