Three set themselves afire in China property dispute

BEIJING - Three people in China’s Jiangxi province accidentally set themselves on fire while threatening workers who had come to demolish their home to make way for a bus station, officials said Sunday.

The incident occurred Friday in Fuzhou city, when workers from the local construction department visited the house of Zhong Rukui and tried to convince his family members to accept the offered compensation, Xinhua reported citing county government officials.

Zhong’s family was not satisfied with the offered compensation of 400,000 yuan ($59,000) and refused to move out.

Three of Zhong’s family members - Luo Zhifeng, Ye Zhongcheng and Zhong Ruqin - allegedly threatened the workers with gasoline and a lighter. All three then accidentally caught fire, and had to be rushed to hospital, where their condition is stated to be serious.