Nine tourists who suffered light injuries or were not injured in the bomb attack in Cairo late last week arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in HCM on Tuesday afternoon.–  Photo 24h.com.vn

CAIRO – Nine tourists who suffered light injuries or were not injured in the bomb attack in Cairo late last week arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in HCM on Tuesday afternoon.

The nine victims are Lê Thị Ngọc Lan, born in 1977; Trần Tấn Huy Cường, born in 1972; Trần Tuấn Thông, born in 1964; Trần Thị Hồng Loan, born in 1966; Trần Thành Trung, born in 2002; Trần Thanh Trúc, born in 1999; Lê Đức Minh, born in 1961; Nguyễn Thị Anh Thơ, born in 1997 and Nguyễn Thị Anh Thư, born in 1961.

After landing in Việt Nam, the victims had health checks at HCM City’s Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy University.

According to Doctor Nguyễn Viết Hậu from the Emergency Department, the hospital received Nguyễn Thị Anh Thư and Nguyễn Thị Anh Thơ, a mother and daughter, at 5pm on Tuesday with injuries caused by metal shards. The mother sustained injuries to her thigh. The doctors will continue to conduct further tests and administer physiotherapy to help the patients recover physically and mentally.

A representative of Saigontourist said the other three seriously-injured victims who are being treated at Sheikh Zayed Specialised Hospital in Egypt are recovering well and are expected to return home later this week.

The company is completing procedures to repatriate the bodies of the three dead victims on Wednesday and will then help the deceased’s families hold funerals.

At 18:15 on December 28 (local time), a bus carrying 18 people including 15 Vietnamese tourists and three Egyptians was hit by a roadside bomb near the world-famous Giza pyramids. Three Vietnamese and an Egyptian tour guide were killed.

The improvised device was hidden near a wall on Mariyutiya street in Al-Haram district.

According to Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt, the dead victims included tourist Trần Hóa Khánh, born in 1961, from the central province of Thanh Hóa; tourist Nguyễn Thúy Quỳnh, born in 1962, from the capital city of Hà Nội; and tour guide Nguyễn Trọng Tiến, born in 1989, from the south central province of Bình Thuận.

The Egyptian Embassy in Việt Nam granted urgent visas for relatives of the victims to travel to Egypt. 

The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt to continue keeping close watch on the situation and work closely with local authorised agencies to ensure legitimate rights of the Vietnamese citizens.

In case of emergency, Vietnamese citizens can seek help from the embassy through the hotlines 20 106 039 6518 or the citizen protection hotline 84 981 8484 84 or the hotline of the Consular Department 096 5411 118.

Attack condemned

Countries including the US, the UK, Russia, Kuwait, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Saudi Arabia have strongly condemned the bomb attack and extended their deepest sympathy to the victims and their families. 

According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s correspondents in Europe, Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the bomb attack and sent his deep condolences to the victims and their families. 

In a telegram in the name of the Pope sent to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Vatican Prime Minister Pietro Parolin said the Pope was very sad to hear about the incident.

He condemned this inhumane and cruel behaviour, and prayed for the victims and their families.

The same day, the VNA correspondents in South Asia quoted the Indian Foreign Ministry as saying that India strongly condemned the cowardly terrorist attack that took the lives of innocent persons.

India sent its deepest condolences to the families of the dead victims and hoped the injured will quickly recover. – VNS