BEIJING’S PROPAGANDA CHIEF has ordered Chinese media to stick to good news about weekend floods, according to a report, after the death of at least 37 people sparked fierce criticisms of the government.
Lu Wei told media outlets to stick to stories of  ”achievements worthy of praise and tears”, the Beijing Times daily reported today, as authorities tried to stem the tide of accusations that they have failed to do enough.
Residents of China’s rapidly modernising capital have said some of the deaths could have been prevented if better warnings had been issued and the city’s ancient drainage systems modernised.
Many took to China’s popular microblogs, known as weibos, to question the official death toll of 37 issued on Sunday, although by Tuesday, censors had begun deleting critical posts from the Internet.
Residents of the worst-hit area of Fangshan, on the mountainous southwestern outskirts of China’s sprawling capital, told AFP the government was doing little to help find their missing loved-ones.
“The government doesn’t help at all, every family is responsible for searching for their own family members,” said Wang Baoxiang, whose 30-year-old nephew had been missing since going out in Saturday’s rains.
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