23 Feb 2017

Vietnam said…it will punish 11 senior officials for misconduct over a toxic waste dump last year that killed tonnes of fish in one of the country's worst environmental disasters.

Taiwanese steel firm Formosa was blamed for the crisis that decimated livelihoods in coastal fishing communities in central Vietnam and was forced to pay $500 million in fines…

The 11 officials, which include a former environment minister and an ex-mayor, violated the law and mismanaged the crisis, according to a statement on the communist party's website.

"The violations ... are serious and need to be considered and punished," the statement said, without clarifying what penalties would be handed down…