Firefighters posthumously honored as martyrs ( 2003-11-09 10:50) (Xinhua)
Twenty firefighters, who died when a burning building collapsed last week in
central China, were posthumously made revolutionary martyrs by Ministry of
Public Security Sunday.
The fire alarm was raised in the eight-story resident building in Hengyang
City, central China's Hunan Province, at 5:43 a.m. on Nov. 3. Local firefighters
were at the scene within two minutes.
The fire was concentrated in a warehouse on the first floor. The firefighters
first safely evacuated all 412 residents in the building before beginning a
two-hour battle against the blaze.
However, around 8:30 a.m., the building suddenly collapsed, burying 20
firefighters in the rubble.
The Ministry of Public Security posthumously honored the firefighters as
revolutionary martyrs in accordance with the brave performance of their duties
and will give 200,000 yuan to each firefighter's family in compensation.
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