Guangxi's regional government has disciplined a vice-mayor of Hechi and eight other officials responsible for the cadmium contamination of Longjiang, including two junior officers from a district environmental protection bureau who may face prosecution for dereliction of duty.
The deputy director of Guangxi's supervision department, Lei Yongda, said yesterday an investigation into possible corruption or other misconduct linked to the spill was under way, Xinhua reported.
Lei said a probe had found that the nine officials had either not exercised sufficient oversight or had been derelict in performing their duties.
Wu Haique, the head of the city's environmental protection bureau, was removed from his post at a meeting of the Hechi People's Congress Standing Committee.
Four officials from the city and Jinjiangcheng district environmental protection bureaus, as well as two from district business bureaus, were also dismissed.
Two other officials, Hechi vice-mayor Li Wengang and Jinchengjiang district deputy party secretary Wei Yongfu, were given demerits.