China announced Thursday that it would pay 995,000 yuan (some
US$124,400) to families of the Yangtze River ship collision
victims.
After ten days of negotiation, the victim families signed an
agreement with the representative of concerned governmental
department, accepting the compensation.
The tragedy occurred on the Yangtze River's middle reaches near
Shishou City, central China's Hubei Province, at around
9:40?AM on Dec. 25, when a ship from Changsha, capital of the
neighboring Hunan Province, collided with a local ship. Altogether
13 people fell into the water.
Two people were rescued while three others were confirmed dead.
The remaining eight are still missing.
The governments of Shishou City and neighboring Jinzhou City
have mobilized more than 100 vessels and some 2,000 people to take
part in the rescue operation.
Rescuers were searching for those missing within a range of 60
km downstream from the accident site, according to local
sources.
As of Friday afternoon, the missing people have not been
found.
Investigation on the cause of the accident is underway.
(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2006)