December 2, 2008 7:54:38 PM CST
(Newser) – A Chinese official admitted today that shoddy construction led to the collapse of some schools during last May’s earthquake, which killed thousands of children. “The structures were not necessarily reasonable and the materials were not necessarily strong enough,” the chairman of the government’s quake probe conceded, reports the BBC.
"There were possibly some construction problems because we have built schools relatively quickly in recent times," Ma Zongjin said. But parents who have demanded that those responsible be punished will likely be disappointed; Ma said the investigation is intended to improve standards, not find culprits. Parents have been pressured by government officials to grieve and fume in silence.
Source BBC
Nov 18, 08 7:42 AM CST An angry mob of some 2,000 people stormed Communist Party headquarters in a city in China's Gansu province last night to protest a decision to move the town's quake-damaged administrative center. The protest turned violent when officials refused to listen to complaints that families would have to move to get help, and called in armed police to disperse the protest in Longnan, one of several communities hit by last spring's devastating earthquakes, CNN reports. More »
Nov 17, 08 3:10 AM CST Rescuers continue today to search for 16 workers missing at the site of a collapsed subway tunnel in eastern China, reports the Xinhua news agency. At least five people were killed when the construction site caved in Saturday on a Hangzhou roadway, swallowing a bus and 11 other vehicles. "There's slim chance for the trapped workers to survive, because of heavy flooding," said an official. Close to 50 people were rescued shortly after the collapse. More »
Oct 3, 08 5:00 PM CDT Even pandas need tender love and chicken soup: Chinese zoo officials have been feeding two 3-year-old cubs the hearty stock to reduce their stress. “Hope” and “Greatness” have been worn out by thousands of tourists clamoring for their attention in central Wuhan during China’s weeklong holiday. “They had been getting less sleep,” one official tells AP, “and they had to run around more.” More »
Aug 31, 08 6:51 AM CDT A 5.7 earthquake struck an area near Panzhihua City in southwest China yesterday, killing at least 22 people and destroying 1,000 homes in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, reports the Los Angeles Times. Rescue teams were racing to the area to help at least 126 injured. Heavy rains and difficult terrain were delaying relief efforts, officials said. Some 70,000 people were killed in Sichuan province when a massive earthquake struck in May. More »
Jul 24, 08 3:41 AM CDT Officials in China's Sichuan province are buying the silence of parents who lost children in May's devastating earthquake, the New York Times reports. Grieving parents are being pressured to sign agreements accepting $9,000 in compensation if they stop asking questions about why so many schools collapsed. They are told they will get nothing if they refuse to sign. More »
China • China earthquake • parents • Sichuan province • construction safety
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