The chief of the Communist Party of Shenzhen, the city where construction debris knocked over 33 buildings and trapped dozens of people, bowed as a sign of penance and swore to punish anyone who is found responsible for the accident . The apology was made on Friday, the same day that central government investigators announced that the landslide was caused by human error.

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Ma Xingrui, the party secretary, showed his remorse on national television, something that is totally unusual. This happened five days after the landslide happened that covered and wrecked buildings, including factories and houses.

According to the latest count on Friday, the total number of missing people totaled to 75. The day before that, it was reported that seven bodies had been recovered from the scene. However, their identities have not been revealed. Just one survivor has been rescued from the collapsed buildings so far.

Ma said that the government of Shenzhen is extending its deepest condolences to everybody affected by the tragedy. He also offered sincere apologies to the families of the victims, to those who got injured and to the general public.

Ma, along with other senior city officials, bowed in front of the camera and vowed to take responsibility for what had happened. He said that  Shenzhen city officials will also accept whatever punishment is due. He said that whoever needs to be punished should be punished.

It is known that officials usually get dismissed after a disaster in China. Bureaucrats and executives are often held guilty. What happened in Shenzhen is not expected to be any different.

Tagslandslide, human error, Disaster