4 Officials Fired Over Shanghai Stampede

Four district officials were fired over the New Year's Eve stampede in Shanghai that injured dozens and left 36 people dead, Chinese authorities said Wednesday. Four officials from the Huangpu District, which includes the Bund and riverfront area where the stampede occurred, will be removed from their posts while seven other officials are facing punishment for "a serious lack of understanding of guarding against public security risks," Xiong Xinguang, head of the municipal emergency committee told a news conference Wednesday. "Preventative and response preparation was sorely lacking, early warnings on the night were weak, and the response measures were not suitable," he said. Huangpu's party leader, the district chief, police chief and deputy police chief were sacked over the disaster, according to Wang Yu, deputy head of the municipal procuratorate.