"China jails 14 over factory blast that killed 146", 3 Feb 2016

…Chinese courts have jailed 14 government officials and company executives for up to seven-and-a-half years over a 2014 factory explosion that killed 146 workers, the official Xinhua news agency reported…

The blast was caused by the ignition of metal dust in a wheel hub polishing workshop in the eastern city of Kunshan, near commercial hub Shanghai. An official investigation later showed the factory flouted safety rules. China has a dismal industrial safety record. Some factory owners evade regulations to save money and pay off corrupt officials to look the other way…

In connection with the Kunshan blast, Xinhua said five separate courts handed out jail terms of three to seven-and-a-half years on the owner and top managers of Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products Co., as well as officials in charge of fire prevention, work safety and environmental protection…State media have previously said that 35 officials were punished under internal Communist Party rules and an additional 18 suspects faced criminal prosecution over the accident.