Shanghai sacks four senior officials over fatal New Year's Eve stampede
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Version 0 of 1. Shanghai says four senior district officials have been sacked for insufficient preparation and response in the New Year’s Eve stampede that killed 36 people. Investigation results released by the Shanghai city government on Wednesday also noted that some of the officials responsible were at an opulent banquet the night of the disaster, hampering the response and adding to public discontent. The investigation report blames a total of 11 Huangpu district officials for insufficient precautions, poor site management and congestion at the scene of the stampede in the city’s historic riverfront Bund area. The district’s Communist party secretary, government chief, police chief and deputy police chief have been sacked and seven other officials have been demoted or otherwise disciplined, Shanghai municipal bureau of supervision deputy director Wang Yu told a news conference. The stampede took place about a half-hour before midnight on 31 December on a set of concrete steps at a riverfront area where a light show is normally shown on New Year’s Eve. However, the show had been cancelled this year because of overcrowding the previous year. |