Dismay over barrier in Zhengzhou

The way Chinese authorities handle the expressions of mourning for flood victims in the provincial capital Zhengzhou has led to an outrage on social media and apparently resulted in a reconsideration by the authorities. A photo published on the short message service Weibo depicted a screen made of plastic barriers in front of a subway station in the city of Henan, behind which numerous bouquets of flowers had been laid out to mourn flood victims. Just over a week ago, several people were killed in this station as a result of severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall, and more are believed to be missing. According to comments made online, the barrier was intended to prevent more people from visiting the scene of the tragedy.