15 jailed for deadly building collapse in Central China

CHANGSHA -- A total of 15 people were sentenced to prison in Central China's Hunan province on Thursday for their roles in a deadly building collapse that claimed 54 lives in 2022.

The defendants, including the owner of the illegally built and extended building and officials who were found of dereliction of duty, received jail terms ranging from two years and nine months to 12 years, according to their first-instance verdicts by local courts.

The incident occurred in Wangcheng district in the provincial capital of Changsha on April 29, 2022, leaving 54 dead and nine wounded. The State Council set up an investigation team to look into the incident shortly after it occurred.

Wu Zhiyong, the owner of the building, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for negligence leading to the incident. He had hired unqualified construction workers to illegally construct and extend the building, which he then leased as an accommodation and catering venue, according to the verdict.

Despite clear signs of the building's imminent collapse, Wu failed to organize emergency evacuations, resulting in heavy casualties. He was also convicted of conspiring with others to repeatedly destroy other people's property, the verdict showed.

Zhou Zhengmao, former deputy head of Wangcheng district, was handed a jail term of 12 years for dereliction of duty and accepting bribes.

Others convicted include inspectors from urban management and market regulation departments, as well as shareholders and testing personnel from a company that issued fake documents for the building project.

The company, Hunan Xiangda Engineering Testing Co., Ltd., was fined 1 million yuan (about $140,400).

Lawmakers, political advisors and relatives of the victims and defendants attended the sentencing.