Registration starts for property loss in Shangri-la blaze

The weekend fire in the ancient section of Shangri-la in southwest China's Yunnan province has left hundreds of people homeless and destroyed the livelihood of dozens of business owners. The local government is helping the homeless with shelter, food and clothing.

More than 600 victims of the fire are being housed in six hotels in Shangri-la County. The local government is now asking them for a written statement detailing what items they lost and their value.

"I've lost two stores, where I sold silverware and food. They were worth more than 450,000 yuan," said Yu Demei, a fire victim.

Yu and her husband had been in business in the Dukezong ancient town for about 11 years. She's not optimistic she'll be fully compensated by the government. "I don't expect the government's payout will be very satisfying. It's a very difficult situation. The total losses for all the stores in the town will be huge," Yu said.

Ba Deng Ze Pi, has lost his Tibetan restaurant in the fire. He estimates it was worth about 200,000 yuan. "I won't request that much from the government. I only hope I can be compensated for the goods and facilities I lost," he said.

While some people lost their businesses, others have lost their homes. Xiao Heping, a landlord, lost his 500-year-old house in the fire. He says few of the wooden buildings in the ancient town were insured.

"I have no idea how much my house was worth. The value of my 500-year-old home can't be measured," Xiao said.

The local authorities have sent personnel to provide support for every victim. Many victims said they feel satisfied with the living conditions at the hotel. They're also receiving clothing and other necessities from the local government and various social aid groups.

So far, the local emergency headquarters hasn't responded with how long the victims can stay in the hotels for or where they could go next. As for the cause of the fire, a Shangri-la county official said on Monday that the fire was due to careless use of electricity by a hotel operator. But later, a higher level Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture official said the cause is still under investigation.