Families of victims in deadly shopping mall fire compensated

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 20, 2004

Families of victims in deadly shopping mall fire compensated

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Each family of the 53 victims killed in the Feb. 15 fire at a department store in Jilin City, northeast China's Jilin Province, will be compensated with at least 80,000 yuan (some 9,600 US dollars), according to the compensation plan offered Friday by the local rescue headquarters.

Under the agreement, the Zhongbai Department Store is responsible to pay the compensation in two phases, with an initial payment of 50,000 yuan (6,000 dollars), and must also pay for the rescue and medical treatment expenses of the victims.

Relatives of the victims are responsible for the funeral expenses, according to the agreement.

The deadly blaze started at 11 a.m. Sunday on the second floor of the department store, where crowds of people were doing weekend shopping, claiming 53 lives and injuring 70 more.

As of Thursday, 24 victims had been cremated, and family members of the other 21 victims had agreed to cremation, said Wang Lin, deputy director of the local commercial committee and also a member of the team responsible for dealing with the aftermath.

To ensure the cremation of all victims, the local government has decided to add 10,000 yuan (1,200 dollars) to the compensation to the families who agree to have the victims cremated in five days after Feb. 18, and 5,000 yuan (600 dollars) to those agreeing to the cremation within 10 days, and less within 15 days, said Wang.

No more compensation will be offered the families agreeing to the cremation 15 days after Feb. 18, Wang added.

For the 14 people seriously injured in the fire, the compensation ranged in three levels of 80,000 yuan (9,600 dollars) paid to those becoming disabled, 50,000 yuan (some 6,000 dollars) and 30,000 yuan (3,600 dollars), added Wang.

Most of the bodies have been identified, and the headquarters has published a list of 52 identified victims, most of whom were residents of the neighborhood of the department store.

The department store has returned 540,000 yuan (65,595 dollars) of mortgage fees, deposits and taxes to 132 owners of shops in the mall.

On Wednesday, technical experts sent by the State Council, China's cabinet, confirmed that the fire had been caused by a discarded cigarette, which ignited inflammable goods at the department store's No. 3 storehouse.

The suspect, Yu Hongxin, 35, has been detained by local police.

Experts said the fact that no one raised the alarm in time was the main reason for the large number of deaths.

Built in the 1990s, the four-story building at a downtown crossroads linking two major streets accommodated 111 shops and 132 shopkeepers, who have reported a total property loss of 3.2 million yuan (about 385,000 US dollars).

Governor of Jilin Province Hong Hu Wednesday made a apology to the general public for the fatal fire in an open letter to leaders of cities and prefectures in the northeast China province.

He also urged officials in charge of production safety in all cities and prefectures to heighten their sense of responsibility, draw lessons from the devastating fire, and implement all preventative measures.

Meanwhile, an overall safety inspection will be carried out throughout the province, mainly targeting mines, transportation public places, forests and grasslands.

Source:Xinhua

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