The head of China’s largest oil refiner Sinopec is among 48 people to face punishment over an massive oil pipeline blast which killed 62 people last year.
The explosion, near a chemical plant in the Huangdao district of Qingda last November, took place after the rupture of an underground oil pipeline owned by Sinopec.
The blast injured 136 people, while some of the workers trying to repair the leak were among those killed. It was estimated to have cost £75.5million in losses and damages.
On Friday the Chinese state cabinet approved sanctions against Sinopec chairman Fu Chengyu and 47 others, according to local reports.
It decided that Sinopec, together with city officials, was responsible for failing to carry out inspections and for weak emergency response.
According to state media, the leak from the pipeline had been discovered almost eight hours before the explosion.