THE families of three Shenzhen residents who died in the Jan.13 fire in a hotel in Changsha in Hunan Province have expressed doubt over the adequacy of compensation proposed by the Changsha city government.
The fire claimed the lives of 10 people who died from inhaling toxic gases, the Daily Sunshine reported Thursday.
The Changsha government offered compensation according to Changsha standards, which was around 200,000 yuan (US$30,300), less than Shenzhen standards.
A lawyer with Guangdong Jin & Partners Law Firm, Jin Yan, said Changsha s offer was in accordance with a judicial interpretation issued by the Supreme People s Court 10 years ago, which had not been changed.
However, the director of the publicity department of the district government, where the hotel fire occurred, Tang Zhibing, said further compensation could be negotiated.
Two of the three Shenzhen deceased who were not holders of Shenzhen hukou (permanent residence permits), were offered compensation according to a standard applied to farmers, said Wang Fang, wife of the only victim with Shenzhen hukou.
Wang said the families of the other two deceased had signed a compensation agreement.
Wang s husband, Wang Tao, was in Changsha on a business trip with two colleagues, who also died in the fire, the paper said. The couple had an 8-month baby.
Firefighting facilities at the hotel were inadequate and security grilles on windows above the second floor had prevented some people from escaping the fire, the Daily said. (Li Hao)
