Seventeen mainland tourists flew back to Beijing on Wednesday after Monday's tragic road accident in Taiwan that killed five people from Dalian of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The tourists who had no injuries in the accident had been arranged to flew back home in Dalian Wednesday night, but their flight was called off due to weather reasons, Liu Fengzuo, vice-chairman of the Trade Union of the Dalian Economic and Technological Development Zone, told Xinhua.

They will be sent home from Beijing on Thursday, Liu said.

Also on Wednesday, 26 grieving and concerned relatives and local officials left Dalian for Taiwan to deal with the aftermath of the accident.

Nineteen relatives of victims and seven officials, including trade union workers and personnel of the Dalian development zone, were scheduled to arrive in Taiwan Wednesday night.

They must first fly to Beijing, change planes and fly to Taiwan via Hong Kong or Macao. This circuitous route, which will add hours to the grieving families' journey, is required because Taiwan authorities only allow direct flights from the mainland on special occasions.

A bus carrying tourists from Dalian plunged off a mountain road into a deep valley in central Taiwan, killing six and injuring 15, according to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

The dead included five from Dalian and a local guide from Taiwan. The injured included 14 from Dalian and the local bus driver.

The tourists were insured with a travel agency in Taiwan and the bus was also legally insured, said the Taiwan Association of Travel Agents (TWATA).

The accident was caused by brake failure, according to the bus driver.

Liu told Xinhua that sources from Taiwan said all the injured were in stable condition and are likely to be discharged from hospital within ten days.

(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2006)