Death toll from rains hits 164 in China as fourth official suspended over flood response
The death toll from torrential rain that has battered 10 provinces and 62 cities stood at 164 on Monday, with another 125 people missing, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
One more official was also suspended for alleged poor flood control measures in Hebei, where the disaster killed at least 130 people.
The latest official to be disciplined over alleged mismanagement of flood control and disaster relief was Guo Tongheng, deputy Communist Party secretary of Xingtai’s Wangkuai township, Xingtai authorities said.
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The announcement came after four officials from Xingtai, Shijiazhuang and Jingxing in Hebei province were suspended over mismanaging the flood response, pending the outcome of further investigation.
It’s a taboo to release the identities of the dead as per our local folk culture without the consent of family members
Hebei was hit by severe flooding last week. In Jingxing county, one of the worst-hit areas, 36 people were reported dead and another 35 missing.
According to China News Service, officials in the county refused to make public a list of the missing.
“It’s a taboo to release the identities of the dead as per our local folk culture without the consent of family members,” a Jingxing propaganda official said.
But residents have been posting online contact information of their missing relatives along with pictures and detailed descriptions, in the hope of finding them.
