Twelve family members of the Chinese victims who were killed in Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet have been issued passports, said the National immigration Administration in a statement on Tuesday.

A Chinese group look at the arrival flight schedule for their colleagues who were allegedly onboard the plane that crashed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 10, 2019. (Photo: VCG)

The administration said it immediately launched the emergency response mechanism and verified the identities of the eight Chinese nationals as soon as possible.

It also asked immigration departments in Beijing, Liaoning province and Zhejiang province to assist the victims' families by providing emergency passport service and convenience in entering and exiting the border.