SHANGHAI
Shanghai’s government has penalized 11 city officials, sacking four of them, following an investigation into a stampede that left 36 people dead and 49 others wounded during New Year’s celebrations.
The state-owned China Daily newspaper reported Wednesday that four top officials from Huangpu – including the district’s Communist Party of China chief, government head, police chief and his deputy -- were dismissed for insufficient preparation and response.
Thousands of revelers had gathered around the Bund, a waterfront along the Huangpu River popular for its historic architecture and high-rises, on Dec. 31 when the stampede occurred at around 11.35 p.m. (1535GMT).
Shanghai’s anti-corruption authority has announced it will punish officials for using public funds for a luxury meal shortly before the stampede, according to the South China Morning Post.
The five district officials accused of breaching the guidelines against extravagant spending include the sacked Party head, Zhou Wei.
Disciplinary punishments were handed to seven other officials in tourism, public security and urban management, the Daily reported.
According to an investigative report released Wednesday, the incident was a public security matter for which poor on-site management and insufficient prevention and preparation should be blamed.
It said the venue for the New Year’s celebration was changed, but the district’s tourism department did not notify the public until Dec. 30, and no risk assessment was conducted.
Security personnel were limited at around 500 police and urban management officers, with only seven policemen stationed at the staircase in Chen Yi Square where the stampede broke out.
At a press conference Wednesday, Shanghai’s vice mayor Zhou Bo apologized for the tragedy, expressing his condolences to those affected and their families on behalf of the municipal Communist Party of China.
Of the 49 people injured, three remain hospitalized, including an 18-year-old female university student under intensive care, the Daily reported.
Stampedes in China often stem from loopholes in safety regulations and enforcement.
