Four Chinese engineers wounded at a car bomb explosion in Pakistan early Monday returned to China Friday morning.

Upon arrival, the four were immediately sent to Beijing Union Medical College Hospital for further medical treatment.

Zhao Yupei, vice president of the hospital, said the four were in relatively stable condition so that the Chinese medical team who arrived in Pakistan Thursday afternoon decided to transfer them back home for treatment.

Currently, there were still five injured Chinese engineers staying in Pakistan, of whom three almost recovered and two were in unstable condition after operation, Zhao said.

The two need to receive further medical treatment in Pakistan and they will be transferred back to China when their condition get improved, Zhao said.

Chinese Vice-Minister of Communications Feng Zhenglin greeted the returned engineers at the airport.

Three Chinese engineers were killed and nine others were wounded earlier Monday when an unoccupied car exploded near their bus in Gwadar, about 500 km west of Karachi. The 12 Chinese were sent by the China Harbor Engineering Company (Group) for a deep water port project in Gwadar.

(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2004)