China officials dismissed over deadly stampede

BEIJING — Chinese state media say a county chief and three other officials have been dismissed over a stampede at a mosque in the country's northwest that left 14 people dead.

Sunday's incident at the Beida mosque in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was blamed on poor crowd control. Muslim believers had flocked to the mosque for a special flatbread being distributed to commemorate a revered local religious figure.

The mosque's administrator has already been detained on suspicion of criminal negligence.

Those reported Thursday as having been sacked included Xiji county head Ren Lixin, along with the county's director of religious affairs, deputy police chief, and a township head.

China's 1.6 million Hui Muslims are distinct from the Muslim Uighur ethnic group.