Firm chairman sentenced to death for Tianjin fire www3.nhk.or.jp
A Chinese court has given the head of a logistic company a suspended death sentence in connection with a massive explosion in the port city of Tianjin last year.
173 people died or went missing in the blast and fire at a chemical warehouse in August of last year. The explosion destroyed factories and nearby condominiums.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported that a Tianjin court on Wednesday gave the company's chairman Yu Xuewei the sentence for illegal storage of dangerous substances at the warehouse and other charges. A suspended death sentence is usually commuted to life in prison after 2 years.
The court gave 23 other company officials jail sentences ranging up to life imprisonment. It also jailed 25 local government officials for bribe-taking and other charges.
China watchers say the harsh sentences appear to be aimed at showing tight discipline for ranking officials, as serious accidents have repeatedly occurred in China.
Published Date:2016-11-10