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7 jailed for boat tragedy cover-up in NE China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-25 13:00

SHENYANG -- Seven people got jail terms of up to six and a half years for their cover-up of casualties when a boat capsized last May killing 11 people in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

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The Donggang City People's Court in Liaoning sentenced the boat owners Gao Jie and Guo Feng to six years and a half and six years in jail respectively. Captain Sun Guangyi and first mate Luo Yuping got a six-year jail term, the Dandong city government, which administrates Donggang, said on Thursday.

The overloaded fishing boat sank at 6 a.m. on May 11 off Donggang. The captain and crewmen claimed that all 19 aboard were rescued but investigators later found ten others were dead and one missing in the tragedy.

Three others, including seaman Peng Youbao and pier clerk Gao Yan, got jail terms ranging from one and a half years to two years and a half for their cover-up.

Seven local officials were given warnings or sacked for their failure to fulfil their administrative and supervision responsibilities in the accident.