China releases probe results on torrential rain-caused disaster in Henan

BEIJING - A State Council executive meeting has reviewed and approved a report on an investigation into the disaster caused by torrential rains in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan province, in July last year, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The torrential rains struck Zhengzhou on July 20 last year, causing waterlogging in urban areas, river floodings, mountain torrents and landslides, which resulted in heavy casualties and property losses.

The investigation group of the State Council identified the event as an "extraordinarily serious natural disaster".

The municipal committee of the Communist Party of China and the government of Zhengzhou, as well as relevant districts, counties, departments and units, did not have a strong sense of risk, nor did they have sufficient understanding and preparation for this disaster, the probe revealed.

They also acted poorly in organizing disaster prevention and dealing with emergencies, according to the outcomes of the probe.

The mentioned authorities are deemed guilty of negligence and dereliction of duty, especially considering the casualties in the subway and the tunnel that were not supposed to take place, according to the probe.

Torrential rains hit the province from July 17 to 23 last year and affected over 14.79 million people in 150 county-level areas. A total of 398 people died or went missing due to the disaster and 95.5 percent of them were from Zhengzhou.