Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 01, 2003
County Head, Police Chief Suspend from Duties after Fireworks Explosions
The head of Minhou county, in east China's Fujian province, the county police chief and other local officials have suspended from duties after being held responsible for two fatal fireworks factory explosions within a month.
The head of Minhou county, in east China's Fujian province, the county police chief and other local officials have suspended from duties after being held responsible for two fatal fireworks factory explosions within a month.
The blasts, which occurred on July 31 and Aug. 26, killed a total of 27 people and injured 67.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Fujian Provincial Committee and the provincial government held a special meeting Saturday night to hear reports on the explosions before ordering the FuzhouMunicipal Government to suspend from duties the county head, the police chief, the director of the county's township enterprises bureau and the heads of Shangjie town and Jingxi town where the blasts occurred.
The meeting urged local police to look into the cases thoroughly, and warned the officials held responsible would face prosecution.
Police have detained five people accused of the illegal selling,storing and trafficking of explosives in the most recent case, andare searching for other suspects involved.