State Council establishes special team to investigate deadly South China reservoir breach

BEIJING -- The State Council has set up a special investigation and assessment team for the dam breach disaster that occurred on July 6 at the Liulan Reservoir in Hengzhou of the city of Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in South China, which caused heavy casualties.

The State Council established the team in accordance with relevant national laws and regulations. Led by the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), the team consists of representatives from 10-plus central government departments and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The first plenary meeting of the team was held in Nanning, the regional capital, on Friday. Chen Min, head of the team and vice-minister of the MEM, presided over the meeting, at which he detailed arrangements for investigation and assessment endeavors and put forward work requirements.

The meeting stressed that the team would comprehensively retrace the entire course of the disaster, fully and accurately ascertain the causes of the disaster, and conduct a thorough chain-wide review of problems and responsibilities in disaster prevention, response and emergency handling.

The meeting also required that all localities and relevant departments profoundly draw lessons from the disaster, take effective measures to do a solid job in flood prevention and disaster relief, and ensure the safety of the lives and property of the people.

The breach in Liulan Reservoir resulted in 26 confirmed deaths.