Over 100 officials punished over faulty subway cables in Xi’an

Over 100 officials have been punished for malpractice related to a corruption case involving faulty cables used in Xi'an subway in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to a statement posted on the official website of the Chinese government on Thursday.

China's State Council said it had sent a special team to investigate the case after an anonymous report in March warned of massive safety risks over substandard cables installed on Subway Line 3 in Xi'an, Shaanxi's provincial capital. A total of 122 officials from the local government have been punished and eight people arrested for manufacturing and selling flawed cables.

The government also urged local authorities to conduct a thorough examination of the subway line and replace all defective cables.

In an article posted on a popular online forum in March entitled “Do you dare to ride metro Line 3?” a person, claiming to be an employee at Shaanxi Aokai Cable Co., Ltd., said the company had used shoddy and inferior materials to produce cables that were supplied to the subway line, which “seriously endangered passengers’ lives.”

The author, who remained anonymous, also alleged the company’s manager “offered bribes multiple times to the quality supervision bureau to have the cables accredited as qualified.”

The report caused online outcry, with Chinese netizens blasting corrupt officials willing to put people’s lives at risk.

(CGTN)