Man criticized for insulting firefighting hero

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A man is being criticized by both netizens and China’s firefighting department after he verbally insulted a firefighter, who lost his life trying to save others during a series of explosions at the Port of Tianjin in 2015.

China Women's News publishes a statement to dismiss Gao Fuqiang. /Weibo Photo

As shown in a verified profile on Sina Weibo, Gao Fuqiang, an editor of Rural Women magazine, which is in the charge of China Women's News, has reportedly been sacked from his post, according to the newspaper’s official Weibo.

Gao's comments. /Weibo Photo

On Saturday, it was found that Gao re-posted a Weibo story on the 20-year-old deceased firefighter who was rated as a martyr and his mother, and verbally attacked the family. The Weibo post published by @ChinaBusinessNewspaper on the same day reads that the 51-year-old mother delivered a pair of twins safely after a 35-week IVF preparation and hoped that they can get out from the pain.

Since the story spread, Chinese social media have been bearing the same hope as the family. However, Gao made a backlash against the public and he used expletives in his comments to attack the family and blamed them for not making any allowance for the newborns.

Gao Fuqiang said in a statement he accepts criticisms from the public. /‍Weibo Photo

“You don’t cherish your life but you should consider your [newborn] children. When you have wrinkles on your face and your children call you mother, are you sure that your children’s heart will not collapse?” Gao wrote in one of his comments.

Despite the fact that he accepted the criticisms in a statement on Weibo, netizens have slammed him for the unacceptable point of view and his so-called apology.

“You should apologize in front of the martyr’s mother but not play with words here,” a user with a moniker of @Haohanweige saw his online apologetic post as dishonest and left a comment below.

“You dare to say you did not think deeply before you posted the remarks as a journalist? Verbal attack is a crime,” @Zhuakuangdehuamao responded to his statement.

China's firefighting department condemns Gao Fuqiang's remarks. /Weibo Photo

China Firefighting Service also published a Weibo post on Sunday via its official account @ChinaFirefighter. It said: “As a journalist, [you] malignantly attack firefighting hero. Is there any humanity or conscience? Is there a baseline [on you]?”

August 12, 2015: A series of explosions hit a chemical warehouse at the Port of Tianjin. /VCG Photo

The succession of explosions happened at a chemical company’s warehouse on the night of August 12, 2015, claiming over 160 lives and injuring hundreds of others.