The Shanwei Intermediate People's Court held a special public hearing on Monday in the case of an April 2001 van fire in which 25 beggars and homeless people were killed.

The 25 people who died had been detained and were being transported in the van on the Shenzhen-Shantou Expressway when it caught fire.

The families of the deceased filed a lawsuit against the Shenzhen civil affairs department, claiming damages in the amount of 187,000 yuan (US$22,600) per person. A local district court in Shanwei ruled in their favor.

The director of a local repatriation center was convicted of negligence and jailed. Authorities in that case determined that the detainees had been locked inside the vehicle.

The Shanwei Bureau of Civil Affairs appealed to the city's intermediate's court, claiming the passengers had in fact set the fire and prevented firefighters from putting out the flames.

The lawyer for the relatives of the deceased, Wang Qiuping, said the local administration had caused the deaths.

"The defendant refused to open the van to release the victims after the fire started," Wang said.

The lawyer indicated that if the intermediate court finds for the defendants, the plaintiffs would appeal.

The intermediate court has not yet released its ruling.

(China Daily August 18, 2004)