China punishes 11 officials over New Year's Eve stampede

Eleven officials in China's business hub Shanghai were punished over the New Year's Eve stampede that left 36 people dead and 49 injured, media reported Wednesday.

Four officials -- Zhou Wei, Communist Party chief of Huangpu district, his deputy and district governor Peng Song, Zhou Zheng, deputy district governor and Huangpu's public security chief, and Chen Qi, district deputy police chief, were removed from their posts, Xinhua reported citing the decision of the Shanghai municipal authorities.

Seven other officials in tourism, public security and urban management received disciplinary punishments, officials announced at a press conference.

The tragedy happened at a crowded square in Shanghai's gleaming Bund area around 11.35 p.m. Dec 31, 2014. Most of the injured were young people in their twenties, a majority of them women. There were also college students and children.

It was lack of public security that caused heavy casualties and serious consequences, said an investigation report released at the press conference. Inadequate prevention and preparation for the mass activity and poor on-site management should be blamed, the report added.

The district tourism bureau released information on the New Year eve activity Dec. 30 and the publicity of the event was late and insufficient, the report said.

The security staff were very insufficient as only about 500 police and urban management personnel were deployed in the area, it added.