Compensation announced for Shanghai fire victims

SHANGHAI - Families of each victim in the deadly fire that destroyed a 28-storey building in Shanghai Nov 15 will receive compensation amounting to 960,000 yuan ($144,500), officials said Tuesday.

The compensation amount consists of 650,000 yuan in cash and 310,000 yuan of government support and charity donations, Zhang Renliang, head of Shanghai’s Jing’an district government, was quoted as saying by China Daily.

Migrant workers will be given equal compensation, he said, adding that the government set the final toll at 58.

Fifty-seven of the 58 victims - including 21 men and 36 women - have been identified with DNA tests, while the identity of one man, thought to be a Japanese citizen, is still under tests, said Chen Qiwei, spokesman of Shanghai municipal government.

Chen said many of the victims’ families had asked the government not to release information on the dead people.

“The government respects their decisions and will not post the list,” he said.

At present, 66 injured people are still being treated at seven hospitals in Shanghai.

The injured people will also receive compensation, which will be determined according to the level of injury, officials said.

Those residents whose homes were completely destroyed will also get compensation based on their apartments’ current market value.

A resident named Xie Hehe, whose wife and son-in-law were injured in the fire, said the family would not accept the compensation if it was not based on the current market price of the building, which was built 10 years ago.

“We hope the compensation could be based on the current average property price in this area. We hope we can buy a new apartment of similar size here with the compensation,” he said.