Shenzhen landslide investigation must stand test of history, senior Chinese work safety cadre warns
Officials put on notice to ensure competent handling of disaster’s aftermath
Any cadres guilty of negligence over the handling of a massive landslide in Shenzhen last month will be held responsible, a senior work safety official has reportedly vowed.
During a tour of the landslide site, Sun Huashan, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety, said the investigation would be “up to standard”, state-run China News Service reported on Sunday.
A mountain of construction waste collapsed on December 20, destroying 33 buildings in the Hengtaiyu industrial zone in Shenzhen.
Eleven people have been arrested over the disaster, which left 12 people dead and 62 others missing.
The procuratorate of Baoan district in Shenzhen announced the arrests on New Year’s Eve.
The 11 detainees include a legal representative and a deputy general manager of a company that was in charge of the landfill.
They were charged with negligently causing a serious accident, the procuratorate said, adding it urged the police to track down other suspects on the run as soon as possible.
Xu Yuanan, director of the Shenzhen Guangming New District Urban Management Bureau, which approved the waste dump, jumped from a building to his death last week, mainland media reported.
The bureau is responsible for inspecting waste dumps and records show it ordered the site to close in July until it addressed safety problems.
The landslide has revived calls to improve the handling of construction waste.
Inspecting the landslide scene, Hua called for a thorough investigation.
“We will utilise all possible resources, and the investigation will be based on facts and evidence,” he said.
“A thorough examination will be conducted in order to ensure the investigation is impeccable and can stand the test of history.”