11 held accountable for Guizhou boat accident

Eleven people have been held accountable after a boat capsized in Congjiang county, Guizhou province, on Dec 2 last year, killing eight, provincial disciplinary authorities said on Tuesday.

Guizhou's discipline inspection commission and commission of supervision said 10 individuals received disciplinary or administrative sanctions, and one was issued an admonition. Five related units, including the county government, the county transportation bureau, and the local township government, were also held accountable and ordered to submit a written self-examination.

The disciplinary actions followed a government investigation into the accident. According to the report released by the provincial emergency department, the wooden vessel was illegally carrying passengers and had 13 people on board when it capsized about 4.3 kilometers from a power station dam. Investigators concluded that severe overloading and improper operation directly caused the accident, which resulted in economic losses estimated at 795,600 yuan ($111,600).