Thirty-two officials were disciplined for their involvement in China's worst bridge collapse, which killed 64 people and injured 22 others last August, according to a government statement issued on Tuesday.

 

The accident happened on Aug. 13 of this year when a bridge over the Tuojiang River in Fenghuang County, central China's Hunan Province, collapsed. The 328-meter-long, 42-meter-high structure was still under construction at the time of the accident.

 

"The bridge collapse was a grave man-made accident, according to investigation results," said the statement.

 

Ouyang Bin, director of the communications department of Hunan Province, was one of the 32 officials censored. He was reprimanded with a notation in his personnel file. Li An, former director of the department, received an official Party warning that was also noted in his personnel file. Both these directors received discipline because the communication department didn't adequately supervise the construction.

 

Li Deqi, Party secretary of the communication department of Hunan Province and director of the road bureau of the province, was removed from his administrative and Party posts.

 

Chen Zhibing, chairman of the board of Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group, was removed from all his administrative and Party posts.

 

Liu Xiaodong, general manager of the Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group, was removed from his administrative post and given a Party warning.

 

Du Chongyan, the former head of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Tujia and Miao nationalities, was told to assume "leadership responsibility" for the collapse. The Hunan Provincial discipline watchdog is investigating another incident involving Du and he could face combined punishment for the two separate cases.

 

The statement said that relevant units and people had received severe punishment and the Hunan Provincial government was carrying out a thorough investigation of corruption behind the case.

 

"Once corruption is identified, severe punishment will be given to relevant persons according to law," it said.

 

Earlier this month, the State Council said that 24 people would stand trial for the bridge collapse.

 

The Hunan Provincial government is trying to raise public awareness of production safety. Efforts have been made to detect hidden dangers in coal mines, roads, fireworks factories and construction sites.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 26, 2007)