According to information released by rescue headquarters today,
117 deaths have been confirmed including 105 local primary
schoolchildren, in the flood disaster in Shalan Town in Ning'an,
northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province.
The latest report added another eight villagers, six of whom had
first been buried by their families before reports of their deaths
were made to the government.
The recovery of the bodies of three schoolchildren yesterday
spelled an end to the 10-day search for missing persons. Rebuilding
work on the Central Primary School is underway.
The school was devastated by a flash flood, the result of heavy
torrential rainfall, and officials have blamed the school's
location -- it is on much lower ground than surrounding buildings
-- for the high death toll among the school's pupils.
"If only the school had been one meter higher, my daughter would
not have died," cried Xue Lingguo, a Shalan resident who lost Ying
Ying, 8, in the tragedy.
Children who survived the disaster have been attending classes
at Shalan Middle School in the northern part of the town.
The middle school was not affected by the flood because it
stands on higher ground.
By yesterday, the bodies of most of the victims had been
cremated, and almost all the bereaved villagers have received
150,000 yuan (US$18,200) compensation for each victim.
Resident Wang Deli said farmers had begun replanting in fields
inundated by the flood.
"We have now turned our focus to the rebuilding work," said Xu
Zhicheng, who coordinated the rescue operations.
Construction of a new primary school began yesterday at a site
north of the middle school at the highest point in the town. The
new school will include boarding facilities for students whose
homes are far away. Xinhua News Agency quoted Ma Li, deputy
secretary-general of Mudanjiang government, as saying: "We hope to
finish the construction before the new semester begins in
September."
On June 13, Huang Mingjun, secretary of Shalan Township
committee of the Communist Party of China, and Li Zuoyu, police
chief of Shalan Township, were held responsible for failing to
organize a timely rescue. According to local government
spokesperson Wang Tongtang, whether they are guilty of dereliction
of duty will be decided in a week.
On June 13, Zhang Zuoji, the governor of?Heilongjiang
Province, asked the central government, in a meeting that was
attended by reporters and officials from Beijing, the province and
Ning'an, to impose an administrative sanction on him for his
subordinates' alleged negligence.
(China Daily, China.org.cn June 21, 2005)