In yet another example of lack of transparency in China, a Chinese province officials fudged death toll in a devastating flood disaster last year, said the country’s central government.
Around 139 deaths were underreported or concealed deliberately. Several arrests have also been made in this regard.
Between July 17 and 23, rainstorms had caused havoc in Henan province in central China. It led to floods due to overflowing of reservoirs and breaching of riverbanks. Several people had lost lives and homes in the disaster.
The state council, which is China’s highest government body, said that it had reviewed the investigation into the disaster.
It found local and provincial officials to be “guilty of negligence and dereliction of duty”.
The officials had announced a toll of 302 dead and 50 missing in the province.
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The report gave an official final death toll of 398. The police have detained eight officials and another 89 have been disciplined in the case.
In a statement posted online on Friday, the state council accused city officials of having “deliberately impeded and withheld reports of up to 139 cases”. The officials were expected to make daily reports but had “concealed or delayed the reporting of those killed and missing in the disaster”, it said.
(With inputs from agencies)
