The vice director of a north China police bureau has been sacked
for last week's tragic school bus accident that killed eight
pupils, said local authorities.
Li Xinsong, who was also head of the Shuangcheng City traffic
police, in Heilongjiang Province, has been accused of
negligence for allegedly ignoring public complaints about illegal
operations of buses.
Another seven police officers were punished with dismissal,
demerits or warnings for negligence.
Police earlier arrested bus driver Guan Jingquan, who was
accused of overloading, speeding and driving without a school bus
license.
Thirty-nine others were injured when the bus carrying 50
students veered off a bridge and plunged into a frozen river on
Tuesday in Zhoujia township of Shuangcheng, 50 kilometers from the
provincial capital Harbin.
Doctors with the No. 242 Hospital where the injured are
receiving treatment said they are all in stable condition. The
survivors have received psychological counseling.
Harbin has begun inspections of school buses. Owners of illegal
buses face fines up to 100,000 yuan (US$ 12,500).
(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2006)