China Northern Airlines unveiled its compensation packages to families of victims in last week's plane crash yesterday, with the maximum compensation reaching 194,000 yuan (US$23,400).

Jiang Lianying, general manager of China Northern Airlines, said at a news conference that the firm would pay each of the passenger's families between 182,000 and 194,000 yuan (US$22,000-US$23,400) in compensation. Jiang said the compensation sum was in line with related laws and regulations of China's aviation industry.

In China, air carriers are required to compensate each passenger's family 70,000 yuan (US$8,400) if any of their aircraft encounter accidents resulting in the death of passengers on board.

"Based on the maximum compensation, we added another 63,000 yuan (US$7,600) to each victim's families," Jiang said.

The airline also added 4,000 yuan (US$480) for passenger's package losses, 4,000 yuan (US$480) for the loss of goods they carried and 40,000 yuan (US$4,800) for the family's suffering. The families of victims, whose bodies could not be found during water salvage operations, would receive another 10,000 yuan (US$1,250) in extra compensation.

Jiang said the sum would not include money already given to victims' relatives for living expenses, funeral expenses or accommodations in Dalian, nor would it affect allowances given to the relatives by the government or the victims' employers.

Passengers who had purchased travel insurance or other types of personal insurance could still receive compensation from related insurance companies, he said.

The China Northern's McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 jet smashed into the sea about 5 kilometers off the coast of Dalian at about 9:40 pm last Tuesday after the pilot reported a fire in the cabin. All 112 passengers and crew died in the crash.

( China Daily May 14, 2002)