Chengdu bus blaze investigation continues

A bus blaze on Friday has killed at least 27 people and injured over seventy others in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Experts from the Public Security Ministry and the State Work Safety Administration have joined the investigation into the cause of the accident.

18 of the 74 injured bus passengers are still in a serious condition. There are grave fears for the lives of 4 people.

Three people with minor injuries have been discharged from hospital.

Local authorities are taking all necessary steps to ensure the best care for the injured.

Wang Zhengrong, deputy head of Sichuan Provincial Health Dept., said, "We have mobilized the province's best medical personnel and equipment here. We'll do all we can for the treatment of the injured."

Due to the serious nature of the burns suffered by those who survived, a team of specialists from several hospitals has been assembled to manage their treatment.

Li Wei, emergency room Chief of Sichuan People Hospital, said, "We received the assembly call from the provincial health administration on Friday. All the doctors and nurses in our department have been monitoring those patients till now."

Meanwhile, the DNA of the 25 people killed in the bus blaze has been collected to help confirm their identities. The identities of 10 victims have been confirmed so far.

Li Song, Forensic Scientist of Chengdu Public Security Bureau, said, "So far, 21 families have contact us and provided their DNA samples. The results will come out within 24 hours."

Local authorities have sent a team to counsel the family members of the victims. Their investigation of the cause of the accident continues.

Foul play was not ruled out after an initial investigation.

The blaze was not fueled by diesel in the oil tank. Investigators found the tank still contained 107 liters of diesel and no mechanical glitch was found in the engine.

The Chengdu government also said that people who are responsible for the accident will be dealt strictly in accordance with the law after the cause is clear.