China has sentenced 15 individuals to prison terms ranging from two years and nine months to 12 years for their roles in a devastating building collapse in Central Hunan province that killed 54 people and injured nine in 2022.
The defendants include the building’s owner, Wu Zhiyong, who received an 11-year sentence for negligence, and Zhou Zhengmao, former deputy head of Wangcheng district, who got 12 years for dereliction of duty and accepting bribes.
Wu Zhiyong was found guilty of hiring unqualified construction workers to illegally build and extend the structure, which was then used for accommodation and catering purposes. Despite clear signs of the building’s imminent collapse, Wu failed to organize emergency evacuations, leading to significant casualties. He was also convicted of conspiring with others to repeatedly destroy property.
Other convicted individuals included inspectors from urban management and market regulation departments, as well as shareholders and testing personnel from Hunan Xiangda Engineering Testing Co., Ltd., which was fined 1 million yuan (approximately $140,400) for issuing fraudulent documents for the construction project.
The sentencing was attended by lawmakers, political advisors, and relatives of both the victims and defendants. This incident highlights the Chinese government’s efforts to hold individuals accountable for negligence and corruption, particularly in cases involving serious harm to citizens.