The government has decided to allocate an estimated 2.3 million yuan (360 thousand euro) to families of firefighters who died during the 12 August disaster. Sum far greater than financial provision in event of death in the workplace. For the experts, it is a government move to silence the doubts on inadequate training for emergency services.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Chinese government has established a record compensation for the families of firefighters who lost their lives because of the tremendous explosion in Tianjin port on 12 August. According to the Beijing News, each family of a deceased firefighter will receive 2.3 million yuan (360 thousand euro) as compensation for the "martyrdom" of their loved ones.

On 12 August two huge explosions in a chemicals warehouse left at least 139 dead and hundreds wounded, destroying an entire area of ​​the city. Authorities fear lethal pollution will result from the fumes as 700 tons of highly poisonous cyanide salts were stored in the exploded warehouse. Of the dead, 97 were firefighters. Nine people are still missing.

The money granted to the families include 940 thousand yuan as "payment for martyrdom", plus an amount equal to 30 times the average annual salary, due to "loss of income due to death." The amount of compensation has surprised many as it is more than double the sum that has been granted families of victims of the 2011 train crash, near the city of Wenzhou. Then families received about 125 thousand euro. In addition, the compensation standards for victims in the workplace in China is 20 times the average wage.

Some analysts consider this "extra pay" an attempt by Beijing to silence the harsh criticism that of the government following the disaster. Many said that the firefighters were poorly trained and have even worsened the situation in critical moments.

Several journalists report that some firefighters fighting fire in a warehouse containing flammable substances, they sprayed water over deposits of calcium carbide. The two substances reacted producing acetylene, a highly flammable gas. The vast majority of Chinese firefighters are composed of poor people, who come from the countryside in search of work and receive little training.

If the families of the firefighters have received compensation, the same cannot be said for residents in the place of the explosion, who on the day of the tragedy lost everything. The government has proposed a compensation of 2 thousand yuan (about 200 euro) per month for three months to those who have suffered damage to their homes, but so far no one has accepted it for fear of missing out on more substantial compensation in the future.

• CHINA
• Tianjin
• port
• disaster
• compensation
• firemen