(June 12, 2002) Chinese authorities are investigating the death of a deputy mayor who had told reporters there was no pollution from a chemical plant blast that poisoned a river.

(excerpt)

Authorities on Wednesday were investigating the death of a Chinese deputy mayor who had told reporters there was no pollution from a chemical plant blast that poisoned a river, while the government tried to mollify anger at the disaster by vowing to severely punish anyone responsible. Vice Mayor Wang Wei of Jilin, where the explosion occurred, was found dead at home Tuesday, the Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao and Hong Kong Cable TV reported. They said the 43-year-old Wang’s cause of death was unknown. “The exact reasons are unclear. The investigation has not reached a conclusion,” a spokeswoman for the government of Jilin province, where Jilin is located, told Hong Kong Cable TV. Employees who answered phone calls to Jilin city government offices said they had no information. People who live along the Songhua River in China’s northeast were angry that authorities failed to alert them immediately to the spill of 100 tons of benzene and other toxins. It disrupted water supplies to millions and strained ties with Russia, where the toxic slick is due to reach the Far East city of Khabarovsk early next week. The government tried to ease public anger on Wednesday by promising a thorough investigation and punishment for anyone responsible.

Associated Press, June 12, 2002