China sacks 15 officials for quake "malpractice"

BEIJING (Reuters) - Fifteen government officials from China's quake-hit Sichuan province have been sacked for their slow response to the disaster or other "malpractice" involving relief work, state media said.

The officials, ranking from village Party chief to deputy municipal civil affairs bureau chief, were blamed for their "tardy response to the quake and malfeasance in later relief work", Xinhua news agency said.

Their malpractice caused "very bad influence" among the public, Xinhua quoted an official as saying without giving details. Thirteen other officials were also punished for their wrongdoing.

Last month, China introduced a law providing for the punishment of fraud involving quake relief efforts, such as trading of relief materials.

Nearly 87,000 people either died or are missing after the May 12 earthquake in which many towns were reduced to rubble.

Chinese troops were monitoring a dam holding back a big "quake lake", caused by landlsides blocking a river, as water levels rose and aftershocks sent more debris tumbling into the water, state media reported on Monday.

(Reporting by Nick Macfie; Editing by David Fogarty)