15 sentenced in fatal 2023 Ningxia explosion case

A total of 15 defendants involved in an explosion accident in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from one year to six years for crimes related to major liability accidents and providing false certification documents, according to the initial trial held by the Xingqing District People's Court in Yinchuan on Friday.

The explosion, caused by the leakage of a liquefied gas tank in a barbecue restaurant named Fuyang, occurred on June 21, 2023, resulting in 31 deaths and seven injuries.

The defendants include Zhang Hongxian and Liu Guo, investors and operators of the restaurant, Cui Wenbo, controller of Ningxia Longjiang Clean Energy Co Ltd, and Zhou Zhiguo, the legal representative and shareholder of Ningxia Guohua Detection Technology Co Ltd.

Three of the 15 defendants were prohibited from engaging in related professions for a certain period, while three frontline employees with lesser culpability and met statutory conditions were granted probation.

According to the court, the accident was caused by violations of laws and regulations by related enterprises in inspection, operation and distribution of non-standard liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, as well as improper operation leading to leaks and explosions during the running of the barbecue restaurant.

Prosecutors accused that Zhang and 11 other defendants violated relevant gas safety management regulations during production and operations, leading to the particularly serious liability accident.

The accident caused significant losses to the lives and properties of those affected, with extremely malicious circumstances, constituting crimes of major liability accidents.

As employees of a liquefied petroleum gas detection institution, Zhou and two other defendants, intentionally provided false certification documents, with serious consequences, constituting the crime of providing false certification documents.

The court safeguarded the litigation rights of all defendants.

After the sentence was announced, all the defendants stated in court that they admitted their guilt and would not appeal.