China tourism steps up help for Taipei crash victims

China National Tourism Administration has deployed rescue and relief measures to assist victims in the aftermath of an air crash in Taiwan on Wednesday, following instructions from President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

The administration has set up an ad hoc team to deal with emergency efforts and will take care of the coordination among government agencies, claim settlements, in addition to reaching out to the victims families, according to a statement from the body.

The death toll from the crash of the TransAsia Airways plane, with 58 people aboard, was 32 on Thursday afternoon. The flight hit a bridge shortly after takeoff and crashed into a river in downtown Taipei on Wednesday.

Officials from the administration's Taipei branch are visiting hospitals where victims are lodged and are working alongside relevant departments and tourism organizations in Taiwan, the statement added.

As many as 31 passengers from the Chinese mainland were on the flight on trips organized by two travel agencies in Xiamen, Fujian province, Taiwan's tourism authority said.

The Fujian branch of the administration has identified the mainland tourists, and a 24-hour hotline has been set up for families of passengers on board the ill-fated flight.