China's rising storm toll raises coverup question

[frigidmagi]

Herald Tribune

Published: July 23, 2006
BEIJING The death toll from a tropical storm that pummeled southern China rose to 530 on Sunday as the central government dispatched a team of investigators to assess the full scope of the disaster and to determine whether the local authorities had deliberately understated the number of dead.

The team sent by the Ministry of Civil Affairs was expected to focus on Hunan Province, where officials initially reported 92 deaths from the storm. But on Friday provincial officials revised the number of fatalities in Hunan to 345 people. The change came after the Chinese media discovered more bodies and questioned whether local officials were hiding the true toll.

Faced with such public criticism, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Friday that "those who are responsible for covering up the death toll and the number of missing people will be held accountable," according to China Daily, the government's English-language newspaper.

Tropical storm Bilis made landfall in southern China more than a week ago, raking the region with powerful winds as heavy rains spawned deadly floods. More than 8,600 inmates were evacuated from nine prisons. Railroad traffic between Beijing and Guangzhou was halted as high waters inundated sections of track.

Storms and flooding are seasonal occurrences in southern China, but damage figures made public Friday suggested that Bilis had caused heavy damage in six provinces. An estimated 212,000 houses were destroyed, while another 287,000 were damaged. Officials say that 2.95 million people have been evacuated. Economic losses in Guangdong Province alone have been estimated at more than $1 billion.

But the full extent of the death toll began to be known only on Thursday after a reporter from China Central Television, or CCTV, filed a story from Pingshi, in Hunan Province. The reporter learned that one village had reported 54 people dead or missing - even though Pingshi, which includes the village, had reported only 39. No media organization in China is more powerful than CCTV, which is operated by the central government, and the report elicited an immediate official response.

By Saturday, the official Xinhua press agency reported that the city of Zixing - which includes the town of Pingshi - had 197 deaths and 69 people still missing. Officials in Zixing blamed communication breakdowns and other problems for the initial undercount of the death toll and denied having tried to cover up the situation.


BEIJING The death toll from a tropical storm that pummeled southern China rose to 530 on Sunday as the central government dispatched a team of investigators to assess the full scope of the disaster and to determine whether the local authorities had deliberately understated the number of dead.

The team sent by the Ministry of Civil Affairs was expected to focus on Hunan Province, where officials initially reported 92 deaths from the storm. But on Friday provincial officials revised the number of fatalities in Hunan to 345 people. The change came after the Chinese media discovered more bodies and questioned whether local officials were hiding the true toll.

Faced with such public criticism, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Friday that "those who are responsible for covering up the death toll and the number of missing people will be held accountable," according to China Daily, the government's English-language newspaper.

Tropical storm Bilis made landfall in southern China more than a week ago, raking the region with powerful winds as heavy rains spawned deadly floods. More than 8,600 inmates were evacuated from nine prisons. Railroad traffic between Beijing and Guangzhou was halted as high waters inundated sections of track.

Storms and flooding are seasonal occurrences in southern China, but damage figures made public Friday suggested that Bilis had caused heavy damage in six provinces. An estimated 212,000 houses were destroyed, while another 287,000 were damaged. Officials say that 2.95 million people have been evacuated. Economic losses in Guangdong Province alone have been estimated at more than $1 billion.

But the full extent of the death toll began to be known only on Thursday after a reporter from China Central Television, or CCTV, filed a story from Pingshi, in Hunan Province. The reporter learned that one village had reported 54 people dead or missing - even though Pingshi, which includes the village, had reported only 39. No media organization in China is more powerful than CCTV, which is operated by the central government, and the report elicited an immediate official response.

By Saturday, the official Xinhua press agency reported that the city of Zixing - which includes the town of Pingshi - had 197 deaths and 69 people still missing. Officials in Zixing blamed communication breakdowns and other problems for the initial undercount of the death toll and denied having tried to cover up the situation.

Man that more aggressive and indepentent press is getting annoying isn't it huh Hu?