A high-ranking officer of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been dismissed and 10 others have received harsh penalties over the crash of a military aircraft in June that killed all 40 people on board, the Central Military Commission (CMC) reported.

A further seven officers were punished in connection with a flood that swamped a military barracks in July, killing 48 people and injuring 60.

The plane crash in east China's Anhui Province on June 3 was found to be caused by icing after flying through several icy regions.

Major General Jiang Jianzeng, deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Area Command, was given a serious demerit : a penalty which is likely to obstruct further promotion. Guo Chunguang, deputy chief of staff of the air force of the Nanjing Military Area Command, was demoted.

Zhang Guangjian, an officer with the Nanjing command's air force, was dismissed. Wang Wei, political commissar of the air force of the Nanjing Military Area Command, and Yue Liu'an, deputy director of the PLA Air force Armament Department, were both given standard demerits. Another six officers were given demerits or warnings.

The aircraft was said to be on a military mission when it crashed. But details about the mission, the exact location of the crash or the identities of the victims have still not been released.

In relation to the flood on July 26 in east China's Jiangxi Province, seven officers were found guilty of neglecting their duties. Chen Wei, deputy commander of a military regiment, was dismissed. Wang Anli, a regiment head, was demoted and five others were given demerits or warnings.

A notice issued by the CMC yesterday urged all military units to carry out stringent management and enhance the sense of responsibility among military cadres. "These factors are key to ensuring the safety of the troops as well as the fast and sound build-up of military forces," it said.

(China Daily September 8, 2006)