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

 

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

 

Zhou Wei and Peng Song were taking a midnight snack with several other officials in a restaurant near the stampede site at the invitation of a local state-owned investment company during the time of the stampede. Zhou rushed to the scene after the incident occurred. 

 

Zhou and Peng, with the other eight diners, also violated the frugality¹ campaign initiated² by the central leadership, according to the Shanghai CPC Discipline Inspection³ Commission. 

 

At the press conference, Zhou Bo, vice⁴ mayor of Shanghai, expressed deep condolences for those affected⁵ by the incident and apologized to stampede victims and their families on behalf of the municipal Communist Party of China committee and government. 

 

"We feel extremely heart-stricken, guilty and very remorseful,"said Zhou, also deputy head of a joint⁶ government investigation⁷ team for the stampede. 

 

The deadly stampede happened at 11:35 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2014, when people assembled on Shanghai's historic riverfront walk, the Bund, to usher⁸ in the new year.

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