Victims' families compensated

Families of those who died in an underwear factory fire in Shantou, Guangdong province, have each been given 370,000 yuan ($59,400) in compensation, local authorities said.

The blaze on Dec 4 killed 14 people, mainly migrant workers younger than 20, and seriously injured a 17-year-old woman.

Huang Lifeng, assistant district head of Chaonan in Shantou, said a suspect, Liu Shuangyun, 26, a migrant worker from Hunan province who is suspected of starting the fire because of delayed payment of 500 yuan in wages, has been transferred to the local procuratorate for judicial investigation.

"The factory boss and his wife are still in police custody for investigation," Huang added.

After the fire, authorities called on local businesses to donate cash for the victims' families. About 533,000 yuan has been raised.

"All facilities in the factory were destroyed in the fire. The government had to pay a lot to compensate the families," Huang said.

Another fire, on Dec 19, also broke out in an underwear factory in the district, injuring five workers. "We will improve safety inspections in small factories," Huang said.

Chaonan is a major underwear manufacturing base, producing nearly one-third of the country's total output, district government sources said.