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China Eastern Airlines MU5735 crash: the ring of officialdom around victims’ families
- Teams of at least three have been assigned to each set of relatives and half-hour trips organised to the disaster scene
- Visits to the site are also limited to a handful of news outlets
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Families of the victims of the China Eastern Airlines plane crash have been the focus of official support and close monitoring in the aftermath of the worst incident of its kind in decades.
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In all, 132 people were on board the aircraft when flight MU5735 crashed on Monday near Wuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. No survivors have been found.
Officials said on Friday that special “task forces” of at least three people had been assigned to each family.
The teams comprise an airline representative from or near the family’s city, a support worker in the deceased’s hometown, and a counsellor. The airline has sent more than 300 staff to help the families of the 123 passengers feared dead in the crash.
In addition, the airline company would provide medical staff, grief counsellors and experts on finances, insurance and legal matters, the officials said.
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In previous disasters, officials were usually sent to comfort and monitor relatives of the victims, ensuring they did not stage protests or vent grievances about the government’s handling or compensation.
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