Officials to be accountable if negligence stirs trouble

Punishment proper in cases of severe disturbance, crime or accident, govt says

Local Party chiefs and government leaders will be held accountable if their negligence leads to major criminal cases, mass incidents or accidents endangering the public in the provinces or regions they are responsible for, central authorities said on Thursday.

The central government issued the notice, saying officials would face punishment if they were found to have failed in performing their supervisory duties in six types of circumstances.