(Beijing) — Several senior city officials in Shanghai were dismissed while a deputy mayor and a district party secretary received on-job penalties in the fallout from the high-rise apartment fire that killed 58 people last year, according to government sources.

The results of an internal investigation into officials held responsible for the apartment fire was released to related authorities this week, a source close to the situation told Caixin. Zhang Renliang, the governor of Jing’an District, where the accident happened, was dismissed, and several bureau-level officials were removed from office as well.

In addition, Shen Jun, vice mayor and head of the municipal construction department, was given a serious administrative demerit, when Gong Deqing, the party secretary of Jing’an District was disciplined by party authorities.

A disastrous fire in a high-rise apartment building in Jing’an District on November 15, 2010 killed 58 residents (see Caixin’s report: Shanghai Mourns an Avoidable Apartment Blaze). Yu Zhengsheng, party chief of Shanghai, said the people responsible for the fire would be held responsible.

At the end of last year, three officials from the construction department in Jing’an District, Gao Weizhong, Zhou Jianmin, and Zhang Quan were detained. Those involved with construction companies operating renovation projects are still under custody awaiting trial.

After the fire, the State Council sent out a designated investigation team, the final result of which has yet to be officially released.

Zhang has served as head of Jing’an District since August 2005 and was still named as district head on the district’s official website by June 8.

Caixin Online