Insurance firm settles first claim in quake-hit region

Insurance company has settled the first auto insurance claim in Yunnan province just days after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the region.

Ping An Insurance, which has already received eight auto insurance claims, paid 9,600 yuan to a car owner soon after the claim was filed, according to the Shanghai Securities News website on Monday.

Ping An Insurance has also decided to offer health insurance of up to 175 million yuan ($28.32 million) to 500 volunteers involved in the rescue operation, with each volunteer getting 350,000 yuan insurance against accidents, as part of the company's contingency plan for the earthquake.

The strong earthquake, which happened at 4:30 pm on Sunday, with Ludian county as the epicenter, has so far caused at least 398 deaths, with more than 1,800 injured.