Eighteen families of 21 people killed in an apartment block fire
last Wednesday in east China's Wenzhou city have each been given
300,000 yuan (40,760 U.S. dollars) in compensation and subsidies by
the local government.
The 18 families signed compensation agreements with the Lucheng
District of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, while three others were
still negotiating, according to the Lucheng District
government.
The fire broke out about 8:20 a.m. in a flower shop on the first
floor of the 28-storey Wenfu Mansion building. It killed two people
in the shop and 19 others on the second floor who were attending
their morning exercise class. Two people were also injured after
jumping from high floors to escape.
Police have detained three people in connection with the fire.
In custody were Wu Songdi, board chairman of the Duoduoxian
Horticulture Co. Ltd., Shao Yongsen, owner of the Yuanyuan Ballroom
and Zhu Xiuling, legal representative of the Duoduoxian flower
shop, who fled after the fire.
An initial investigation found that sparks from an electrical
wire in the flower shop set wrapping paper and plastic flowers
ablaze and started the fatal fire.
Rescuers safely evacuated 213 others who were initially trapped
in the building where the bottom three floors were for commercial
use and the rest for apartments.
Local authorities froze the flower shop owner's bank
account.
(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2007)