Two Israeli overseas students and 12 U.S. tourists were found safe in the quake-stricken province of Sichuan, China's Foreign Ministry said on its website on Thursday.

The Israeli students, who were stranded in Dujiangyan that is very close to the epicenter of Wenchuan County, were found safe and were back in contact with the Israeli embassy in China.

They were leaving the area on foot with help of relevant Chinese departments, the ministry said.

The 12 U.S. tourists, who had been reported missing on Tuesday, were confirmed alive in one of the worst-hit areas, the panda reserve town of Wolong. The local government had already helped them and "they are safe and in good condition," the ministry added.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)