The Chinese government has punished 62 officials for their alleged violations of discipline following a collapse of a building in Changsha, Hunan province, that killed 54 people.
This was disclosed by state news agency Xinhua on Sunday, May 21, 2023.
Xinhua detailed that several senior city officials were handed severe warnings. The paper also revealed that Changsha’s current mayor, Zheng Jianxin, had been sacked.
According to Xinhua, many officials have been transferred to judicial authorities for flagrant law infractions and alleged workplace crimes.
Several former Changsha officials, including Hu Henghua, the current mayor of Chongqing, and a former mayor of Changsha, also received warnings.
According to state media reports, a “self-built” housing building in Changsha (southern province) collapsed on April 29, killing dozens.
A Chinese government inquiry report into the collapse claimed that unlawful and erroneous building practices were to blame and that local officials had failed to stop such building activities and mitigate the concealed hazards.
Forty-four college students were among the 54 dead.