China Jails Officials Over Dam Collapse Cover-Up
Thirteen officials have been sentenced to between 14 months and four years in jail for an iron mine dam collapse that took place in 2008, prior to the opening of the Beijing Olympics. From Reuters, via the Washington Post:
China has sentenced 13 low-level officials to jail for an iron mine dam collapse just before the Olympic Games opened in Beijing last year, which was hushed up despite killing at least 43 nearby villagers.
The tailings dam, which is used to retain mining waste, collapsed before dawn on August 1, 2008, just one week before the Olympic Games opened in Beijing on August 8.
News of the disaster only trickled out weeks later.
The mine in Loufan county, Shanxi province, belonged to a subsidiary of state-owned Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group, or Taigang, China’s flagship stainless steel producer.
The local mine managers and local mine safety officials were sentenced to between 14 months and four years jail. They were charged with responsibility for the accident, and dereliction of duty.
