A worker wearing a protective suit prepares to assist people outside a hotel that has been designated to accommodate families of people onboard the crashed China Eastern aircraft in Tengxian county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 22, 2022. Photo: VCG

11 insurance companies have compensated the families of the victims of the crashed China Eastern Airlines flight, with a total of 14.85 million yuan ($2.34 million), the insurance regulator said on Wednesday.

As of Tuesday, the four companies responsible for the insurance of the aircraft's fuselage paid a total of 116 million yuan ($18.2 million) in advance to China Eastern Airlines, according to the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission. 

On March 23, PICC Property & Casualty paid a compensation of 50 million yuan ($7.8 million) to China Eastern Airlines.

China Eastern Airlines' flight MU5735 crashed in a mountainous area in Tengxian county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on March 21.

The day after the disaster, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission deployed resources to take the initiative of the investigation and collect information, fully respect the wishes of family members, and establish an open channel for claims settlement.