Chinese official dies by apparent suicide during probe into deaths of 21 runners

A Chinese county official appears to have jumped to his death during a probe into the deaths of 21 runners last month when freezing rain and gale-force winds hit the mountain on which they were competing in an ultramarathon, state television reported Friday.

CCTV said police were notified Wednesday that a man had jumped from his apartment and died. Upon investigation, he was found to be Jingtai County Communist Party Secretary Li Zuobi. Homicide has been ruled out, it said. On Friday, the Gansu provincial government in western China handed down punishments to 27 officials, posthumously exempting Li but sacking his deputy, Zhang Wenling, CCTV reported. Two other lower-ranking officials were detained pending a further investigation, while the others were given administrative punishments, demotions, warnings and demerits.