Govt will equally compensate bridge collapse victims

The government will equally compensate the families of 10 people who died in a highway bridge collapse in Henan province, officials at the rescue headquarters said on Monday.

The news came after reports quoted relatives of the victims born in rural areas saying they will get 180,000 yuan ($28,800) in compensation, or 220,000 yuan less than their counterparts from urban districts.

The government will apply the same compensation standards to every victim and will comply with the Supreme People's Court's interpretation of compensation for personal injuries, local authorities said.

A truck overloaded with fireworks exploded and blasted off part of a viaduct about 30 meters above the ground in Mianchi county, Henan province, on Friday morning.

The truck contained about 600 large packages of fireworks.

Ten people died and 11 were injured.

Officials at the rescue headquarters released the names of the 10 deceased on Monday, and asked relatives to collect the bodies.

The victims were from Shandong, Jiangsu and Henan provinces.

The amount of compensation is still being calculated, the spokesman said.

According to the interpretation, victims should be compensated according to their estimated incomes for the 20 years following their deaths. The figures are different in different areas and at different ages.

Police have detained four people over the explosion, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Investigations found that the fireworks the vehicle was carrying were produced by a firm registered in Pucheng county of northwestern China's Shaanxi province, said the information office of the county government.

The four people detained by police for further investigation are from the fireworks producer and the hauling company that owned the truck, said the office.

The company, Pucheng Hongsheng Fireworks Ltd., is a licensed fireworks producer with a safety production license, according to investigators.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at wanghuazhong@chinadaily.com.cn