6 sentenced to jail for Shanghai building collapse
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A Shanghai court Thursday handed down jail terms from 3 to 5 years to the six people held responsible for the collapse of a partly-built 13-story apartment building in June 2009.
The Minhang District People's Court in Shanghai convicted the six of negligence causing a serious accident.
Among the six, Qin Yonglin, a manager of the building's real estate developer, and Zhang Yaojie, the person in charge of construction, were both sentenced to five years in jail.
Both Xia Jiangang, who was in charge of safety management in on-site construction, and Zhang Yaoxiong, the person held directly responsible for collapse of the building, were given four years of imprisonment. Zhang Yaoxiong was proven to have violated procedures for safety management in earthwork digging and earth mounting, which eventually led to fall of the building under construction.
Zhang Yaojie and Zhang Yaoxiong are not related.
Lu Weiying, the on-site project manager, was given a jail term of three years. Lu was proven to have failed to perform his duties as stipulated by allowing the construction party to enter project bidding and relevant management in his name, and by assisting the construction party in dodging checks by the supervisory departments,
Qiao Lei, the construction supervisor, was sentenced to three years in jail.
The No. 7 apartment building of the "Lotus Riverside Residence" Real Estate Project was nearly complete when it toppled over on June 27, 2009, killing one worker.
A police investigation showed the builders had rushed to finish the project. The building's groundwork was unbalanced with piles of earth mounting its northern side and a 4.6-meter-deep pit on its southern side, where an underground garage was being built.
The accident prompted nationwide concern about the safety and quality of commercial housing. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rur Development ordered housing projects nationwide be inspected following the accident.
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