Society

Six jailed for East China deadly explosion in 2010

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-21 07:01

NANJING - Six people found responsible for a deadly explosion in Dast China's Jiangsu Province in July 2010 received jail terms ranging from three to nine years Monday, according to local courts.

The blast, killing 22 people and hospitalizing 120 others, ripped through an abandoned plastic plant in the provincial capital of Nanjing, after workers damaged an underground propylene pipeline while using excavators to tear down the buildings.

According to the statements from three local courts which respectively heard the cases of the six people, the demolition work was carried out without official permission, proper supervision and safety measures.

The Intermediate People's Court of Nanjing City sentenced Shi Jing, a former street office head in the city's Qixia District, where the abandoned Nanjing No 4 plastic plant was located, five years in prison after convicting Shi of neglect of duty.

The court statement said Shi failed to fulfill the obligation to oversee the demolition process.

The Xiaguan District People's Court in Nanjing convicted Zhu Guangyuan and Wang Youdao, two former officials with the district's demolition and relocation bureau, of misuse of authority.

The court found that they issued the demolition notice although they were clearly aware that the project lacked the official permission.

Shao Dianjun, Dong Lairong and Fang Qiangfeng, three construction workers who performed the reckless work, were found guilty of causing serious accident by the People's Court of Lishui County.

The statements did not reveal exact jail terms of the five people, only saying the jail terms ranged from three to nine years.

The accident caused economic losses of 47.8 million yuan ($7.38 million).