Seventy-seven victims of a massacre by Japanese troops in 1941 sued the Japanese government for an apology and compensation on Monday.

The victims, their representatives and lawyers submit a total of 77 lawsuits to Zhejiang Provincial Higher People's Court demanding the Japanese government make an apology and pay compensation of two million yuan (310,000 U.S. dollars) for each victim.

On April 23 and 24, 1941, Japanese troops set fire to 2,300 homes, killing more than 40 civilians and rendering 6,000 people homeless in the coastal town of Wenling, Zhejiang, about 300 km from Shanghai.

"Japanese soldiers set two villages ablaze and the fire burned for three days," said Zeng Heman, who was five years old when he fled with his mother immediately prior to the massacre. Zeng began to collect evidence of the atrocity in the 1990s.

"In suing the Japanese government, we first demand an apology. Compensation comes second," said Pan Zhenhua, who is seeking justice for his parents.

The court registered the class action for further study as a public petition case.

A number of groups of Chinese victims of the Japanese invaders during World War II have sued for an official apology and compensation.

Japan invaded northeast China in September 1931, followed by a full-scale invasion on July 7, 1937. Around 35 million Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed or injured during the war, which continued until 1945.

This year is the 70th anniversary of victory in the world anti-fascist war and of the Chinese resistance against Japanese aggression. China will hold a military parade to commemorate the event on Sept. 3.