China has extended sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the injured in the Indian plane crash, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.
Lin made the remarks in response to a media query about the tragedy of an Air India flight to London with 242 people on board, which crashed on Thursday shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The plane crash killed 241 people on board. A passenger survived the crash and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The London-bound flight had 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian, apart from two pilots and 10 crew members on board when it crashed at the premises of B.J. Medical College in the Meghaninagar area.
"China is concerned about the unfortunate incident of the plane crash in India which resulted in heavy casualties. President Xi Jinping already sent messages of condolence to Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Britain's King Charles III, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi respectively. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, he expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives, extended sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured, and wished the injured a swift recovery. Premier Li Qiang also sent messages of condolence to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer respectively," Lin said.
China extends condolences over Indian plane crash: spokesman
China extends condolences over Indian plane crash: spokesman
China extends condolences over Indian plane crash: spokesman
Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), is denying that it is disbanding, after a Riyadh-based delegation of the group declared the dissolution of the council and all its political and military structures on Friday.
The council on Saturday issued a statement on social media, refuting reports of its dissolution, calling them "fabricated and invalid." This contradicts a claim made by its Secretary-General Abdulrahman Jalal al-Subaihi in a broadcast on Yemeni television on Friday.
The dissolution announcement follows the recent departure of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi from Yemen amid intensified political tensions in Aden. His departure came ahead of Saudi-hosted dialogue talks on the future of southern Yemen, and amid growing internal divisions within the council.
The delegation is in Saudi Arabia as part of talks on the southern political track, marking a pivotal moment for a movement that has dominated Aden's political and security landscape in recent years.
The conflicting statements reveal deep internal divisions within the UAE-backed STC, amid heightened regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia has accused the UAE of helping the group’s leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, escape the country, while the STC has accused Riyadh of detaining its members and forcing them to make false statements.
As tensions rise, local authorities have imposed a citywide curfew across Aden over the past two days.
Official in charge of the Community Committees at the Southern Transitional Council
"From a security standpoint, those who have taken control of affairs in the interim capital, Aden, and in several southern provinces are southern armed forces, namely the Giants Brigades and the Southern Homeland Shield. There is no fear for the southern people. As for the public, they will return to the streets to demand secession from the Yemeni state," said Wakkas Ahmed, an official in charge of the Community Committees at the STC.
That curfew has since been lifted, according to security officials, as forces continue to monitor developments and maintain a visible presence throughout the city. But the group is now calling for mass protests in southern Yemeni cities.
Southern Transitional Council denies its dissolution
