Families affected from China rail crash reject compensation offer

Relatives of some of those killed in a major train crash in China are refusing to accept an offer of compensation from the government. The 915,000 yuan ($142,000; £87,000) total is double the initial offer made to the families of the 40 victims. There has been widespread anger at the official response to the disaster. The crash happened when one train came to a standstill on a viaduct near the eastern city of Wenzhou, and another ploughed into it. State media say that 10 families have accepted the compensation offer. Meanwhile local lawyers have been told to report to the authorities any relatives seeking legal advice, AFP news agency reported, citing the official Xinhua agency. Law firms should not “unauthorisedly respond and handle the cases”, because “the accident is a major sensitive issue concerning social stability”, the lawyers are said to have been warned in a statement.The crash has provoked much anger against the government, not just for its response, but also over its conduct in pushing for rapid development of high-speed train lines. Many web users, and even some state-media outlets, have accused officials of putting economic development above the safety of the people. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who visited the crash site on Thursday, [...]