Later Tuesday, Kong Xuanyou, assistant minister at the Chinese foreign ministry, telephoned South Korea's top envoy to China Kim Jang-soo and offered the government's support in dealing with the accident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul said.

"China's (governing) party and government leaders are taking the accident very seriously," The Chinese assistance minister was quoted as telling Kim during the conversation.

He also said the government has ordered the regional Chinese governments near the accident scene to handle the aftermath of the accident "speedily and smoothly," according to the South Korean ministry.

Separately on Tuesday, South Korea's Consul General based in Qingdao Lee Soo-john also talked to Sun Licheng, vice governor of Shandong Province, over the phone to request China's support in handling the accident, the ministry said.

During the talks, Sun Licheng quoted President Xi Jinping as instructing a speedy investigation into the case of the accident and smooth handling and unveiled the launch of a Chinese task force in charge of carrying out the order. (Yonhap)