Chinese official sacked after clerk gives him piggyback to stop shoes from being ruined

An official in eastern China has been sacked after a picture of him being given a piggyback across a flooded path during a search for missing children went viral online, sparking outrage.

The photo showed the official from Guixi in Jiangxi province being carried on another man’s back through ankle-deep water, keeping his leather shoes dry, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

He was caught on camera on Saturday during a search for three children who had fallen into a swollen river, Xinhua added.

“Wang, vice director of a government office, was about to cross a flooded path when Ding, a low level clerk, offered him the ride. The inappropriate act had a negative social impact and tarnished the image of party officials,” the report said.

A post published with the image said the official was being carried because he was wearing a pair of high-end shoes, according to China's state-run news agency Xinhua at the time.