Villagers compensated for rocket debris damage  

(ECNS) -- Two villagers in Suining county of Shaoyang city, Hunan province, have been compensated in the amount of 16,000 yuan (US$2,626) for property damage caused by falling debris from the Long March-3B rocket, the carrier of the Chang'e-3 lunar probe, according to the Xiaoxiang Morning News on Tuesday.[Special coverage]

The rocket blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China's southwestern Sichuan province at 1:30 a.m. on Monday. Debris from the rocket fell in Suining county nine minutes later, hitting two houses in the village but causing no injuries.

After learning that an area of 700 square meters surrounding the village had been set as the drop zone for rocket debris, the local government arranged over 1,000 people to evacuate the region. 16,000 villagers had been evacuated by 1 a.m. on Monday.

Yang Weihan, owner of a house damaged by rocket debris, got 10,800 yuan in compensation. Another villager named Yuan Shifa received 5,200 yuan.

The rocket debris has already been collected.