Chinese agency says unable to reach 126 trainees in Japan

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China International Contractors Association said Thursday that 126 Chinese trainees were unable to be reached in Japan's quake-hit regions as of 10:00 a.m. Thursday Beijing Time.

These trainees are located in the quake-stricken regions including Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures. Most of them come from Beijing, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, said Zhang Xiang, spokesperson of the association, which is under the Ministry of Commerce.

A total of 22,497 Chinese trainees were confirmed to be in Japan's quake-hit regions and the association has managed to contact most of them, said Zhang.

The association will continue trying to contact the remaining 126 trainees with the help of Japanese agencies and China's representative offices in Japan, said Diao Chunhe, head of the association.

Japan is a major destination for Chinese trainees. Latest figures from the association show that there are 171,800 Chinese trainees in Japan. ' The Chinese embassy in Tokyo said Thursday that one Chinese national died in Japan following Friday's great quake.

The Chinese victim died in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi Prefecture, when the quake-triggered tsunami hit the area, according to the embassy's working groups in quake-hit areas.

The detailed information of the victim will not be released on the embassy's website at the request of the bereaved family.

Special Report: Massive quake shakes Japan