China Authorities Arrest 11 People over Shenzhen Landslide
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Authorities in southern China have arrested 11 people after a landslide at a construction waste dump last month killed 12 people and left 62 others missing, presumed dead.
Prosecutors in the southern city of Shenzhen said in a statement late Thursday that a dispatcher and supervisor of the landfill, the chief and deputy manager of a company in charge of the landfill, and seven other people were arrested.
On Dec. 20, a mountain of construction waste that had been piled up against a hill collapsed during heavy rains, sliding onto a Shenzhen industrial park. The city, which is near Hong Kong, makes products ranging from cellphones to cars, and attracts workers from all parts of China.
Prosecutors said the 11 people have been charged with negligently causing a serious accident, and urged police to track down additional suspects, AP reported.
An official in the district where the landfill was located jumped to his death from a building about a week after the disaster. It wasn't clear if the man, identified only by his surname, Xu, was under investigation over the landslide. However, as head of the district Urban Management Bureau, his responsibilities typically would include regulating businesses and construction sites in the area.
Officials have labeled the landslide a man-made disaster, raising the possibility of harsh penalties for anyone found to be responsible.
Despite the threat of prison time over major industrial accidents, a lack of regulatory oversight and cost-cutting often lead to deadly disasters in China.
