WUHAN: Two officials present when a colleague was stabbed and killed by a woman claiming to be defending herself against a sexual assault have been fired.

Huang Dezhi, 41, was sacked from the post of vice-director of the office of business delegations of Yesanguan township, Hubei province, the local government said yesterday.

He was also deprived of his Party membership, as he had "pushed, shoved and verbally insulted a waitress who refused to accompany them to take a bath" in a bathhouse on May 10 in Badong, the authorities said.

Deng Zhongjia, 45, another vice-director of the same office, had not broken any laws or regulations, the statement said. He was fired as the incident had caused a "bad social effect".

Huang and Deng, along with another official, Deng Guida, were at Badong's Xiongfeng Hotel when Deng Guida demanded sex from one of the employees.

Waitress Deng Yujiao is alleged to have fatally stabbed Deng Guida after she refused to provide "special services".

He had pulled out a stack of cash and tossed it at her, and pushed her down twice on a sofa. The waitress then picked up a knife and stabbed him and injured Huang, the county government said in an earlier statement. She claimed that Huang raped her.

Huang has been detained in connection with public order offences.

Police have shut down the bathhouse and are questioning its owners, the statement said.

Deng Yujiao, 21, was detained on suspicion of murder on the day of the incident and released on bail on Tuesday night. She has not been formally charged. The three Dengs are not related.

Deng Yujiao has attracted intense public sympathy on the Internet with many people expressing anger at officials who abuse their authority.

Police are still investigating the case.

Questions:

1. Where did the crime take place involving the officials and a bathhouse waitress?

2. How young was the waitress involved in the incident?

3. How many officials were present during the incident that saw one of their colleagues fatally stabbed?

Answers:

1. Badong, near Wuhan, Hubei province.

2. 21.

3. 3.