Two social security officials in Mianyang, Sichuan province, killed themselves by jumping off buildings in April fearing the possible repercussions of a corruption investigation, mainland media reported yesterday.
The Southern Metropolis News said Peicheng District Social Security Office director Zhou Jianming killed himself on April 19 while under shuanggui for corruption.
The paper reported that Zhou was one of eight officials placed under the party disciplinary investigation after a huge amount of social security funding went missing.
Several days after Zhou committed suicide, Tang Xu - a disciplinary committee official in Mianyang responsible for the investigation into Zhou - jumped from his office building.
Both officials died on the spot and their deaths were witnessed by bystanders, but the city authorities said nothing about the incidents and offered no explanation for their silence.
