Dumpster children’s deaths prompt call for party chief’s sacking

Angry members of the public are calling for Bijie’s Communist Party chief Zhang Jiyong to step down following the deaths of five homeless boys in a rubbish dumpster last Friday.

The tragedy has outraged China’s netizens and sparked criticism of the local government’s efforts to help the homeless.

As of Tuesday morning, the incident has already led to the sackings of six mid-ranking officials in charge of civil affairs and education in the town, northwestern of Guizhou province, according to Xinhua news agency.

A police investigation and subsequent post mortem concluded that the children, who died on Friday, were killed by carbon monoxide released from the fire they set to keep themselves warm in the bin, Xinhua reported on Monday.

Bijie government has also confirmed the five children’s identities. Shared the same last name, Tao, they are at age between nine and 13.

Bijie propaganda official Tang Guangxing said the five boys were from related local families. “[They are children of] three families of siblings or cousins.”

Tao Jinyou, father of one of victims, told Xinhua the children left their families altogether three weeks ago.