Chinese officials on Sunday sought to reassure foreign visitors that they were safe in Beijing and said the stabbing to death of the father-in-law of a US Olympic volleyball coach was an isolated incident. The attack in Beijing on Saturday, in which the man's wife and a Chinese tour guide were injured, was an "isolated criminal act" and not linked to the Olympics, said Wang Wei, the executive vice-president of the Beijing Olympic organizers (BOCOG), the dpa reported. Wang told reporters that senior health and foreign ministry officials had visited hospitals treating the two injured women and "made sure that everything possible was done to help them." BOCOG said in a statement that it was "deeply saddened to learn of the tragic attack" and "extends sincere condolences to the victims and their families." "At present, investigation into the rare and tragic incident is still under way," the statement said. " Beijing is a safe city, and the police are doing their best to provide a safe environment for all tourists, Chinese and international, during their travels in Beijing," it said. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) identified the dead man as Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of US Olympic men's volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon. Bachman's wife, Barbara Bachman, suffered "multiple lacerations and stab wounds" in the attack and was in "critical but stable condition" at a Beijing hospital after eight hours of surgery, USOC said. "It is impossible to describe the depth of our sadness and shock in this tragic hour," USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth said in statement. "Our delegation comes to the games as a family, and when one member of our family suffers a loss, we all grieve with them," Ueberroth said. "Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with the Bachman and McCutcheon families," he said. Chinese state media said the attacker jumped to his death after the knife attack on an upper floor Beijing's ancient Drum Tower. Police found that he was carrying an identity card in the name of 47-year-old Tang Yongming from the eastern city of Hangzhou. US President George W Bush said later Saturday that he was "saddened by the attack on an American family and their Chinese tour guide today in Beijing." A report on the website of New Zealand broadcaster TVNZ said Chinese authorities were also investigating an attack on one of its sports commentators close to its crew's Beijing accommodation on Friday. Steve Robilliard, an Australian ABC commentator working for TVNZ, said the man grabbed a broken chair and threw it at him, causing minor cuts to his wrist and arm. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has advised Australian athletes to wear official team gear as a security measure.
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