The families of victims who lost their lives in a fire at a Taichung facility owned by supermarket chain PX Mart said they have not received any statutory compensation.
Nine people died in the fire in December last year at an under-construction processing center belonging to PX Mart.
Family members of the victims quoted the contractor as saying that they could not start discussing the statutory compensation amount until the investigation result of the cause of the blaze is released.
Photo: CNA
PX Mart and contractors are still shirking responsibility even though it has been four months since the fire, said the relatives.
They said they only received consolation money, ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$300,000, from different parties including PX Mart, a construction company, the Taichung City government’s Labor Affairs Bureau and the Pingtung County government.
“The lives [of their dead relatives] are cheap,” they said.
There has been no news from PX Mart after it paid one-time consolation money, they said, accusing the supermarket chain of ignoring their suffering.
The sister of a victim, surnamed Kuo (郭), said PX Mart never contacted her family after the fire.
Her 70-year-old father, who her brother cared for before the accident, often calls out her brother’s name in the middle of the night, she said.
They have to pay rent, and only two small contractors have visited the family, she said.
The sister of a victim, surnamed Liu (廖), said their mother, who lost her son and grandson in this fire, keeps asking how the incident is being handled, she said.
The family hopes they can get an answer as soon as possible so that everyone can return to their normal lives.
They called for the government and relevant authorities to properly address the issue.
The Taichung City government’s Labor Affairs Bureau said NT$300,000 in consolation money for work-related death per person has been paid to the families of four victims who had household registration in Taichung.
Eight victims who suffered injuries have returned to work, while one of them has received a NT$6,000 school subsidy for his children, it said.
Three people have agreed to settle, while the families of four victims are still negotiating with the contractors, it said.
The families of two Vietnamese migrant workers have come to Taiwan for negotiation and reconciliation, it said.
A report of the occupational hazard has been submitted to the Ministry of Labor, it said.
Taichung City Government’s Fire Bureau said an investigation report concerning the cause of the blaze was submitted to Taichung City Police Department’s Wuri Precinct in January.
It is to be ruled by the court, the fire bureau said.
Stakeholders and families of the victims have been notified so that they could apply for information and proof related to the incident, it said.
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