Families of the dead in E China fire to receive 380,000 yuan each in compensation

WENZHOU, Zhejiang, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Families of the 21 killed in an apartment block fire last December in east China's Wenzhou city will soon each receive 380,000 yuan (about 54,300 U.S. dollars) in compensation by the local government, said local authorities on Monday.

The compensation is promised by Zhu Xiuling, the legal representative of Duoduoxian Flower Company Ltd., accused as a major suspect of the fire.

The fire broke out at about 8:20 a.m. in the flower company on the first floor of the 28-storey Wenfu Mansion building on December 12, 2007. It spread to upper floors rapidly as the company had no fire controlling facilities.

The fire killed two people in the shop and 19 others on the second floor who were attending their morning exercise class in a ballroom.

However, the amount of money will be temporarily paid by the government of Lucheng District in Wenzhou city, Zhejiang province, and later be paid by Zhu, said an official with the municipal procuratorate.

Local authorities froze the flower shop owner's bank account soon after the fire, the official said.

An initial investigation found that sparks from an electrical wire in the flower shop set wrapping paper and plastic flowers alight and started the fatal fire.

Another suspect surnamed Lu, the formal management director of the residential building, was arrested last Friday, the official said.

Lu was suspected of having failed to carry out his responsibility of supervising fire control facilities in the company, the official said.