China has sentenced 15 people in connection with the collapse of a commercial building in the central city of Changsha, which killed around 50 people and left several others injured. The incident, which occurred in April 2022, sparked public outrage over corruption and lax construction standards after authorities revealed that the structure had been illegally built.
Despite China’s vast number of large buildings and rapid urban development, building collapses have become a frequent issue, often attributed to corruption and weak regulation in the construction sector. The Changsha case, which brought these issues to the forefront, concluded with 15 individuals being held responsible, according to a report by state media on Thursday.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that two courts in Changsha issued sentences to those implicated. Wu Zhiyong, a resident of the building deemed partly responsible for its collapse, received an 11-year prison sentence.
Other sentences included 12 years for a former deputy chief of a state-backed municipal water company, who was found guilty of dereliction of duty and bribery. Additionally, a local structural testing firm was fined one million yuan (approximately $140,000) for providing false documents that declared the building safe. Several employees of the firm were also jailed.
The court found that Wu and others involved in the project constructed the property without the required qualifications and illegally rented it out to catering and accommodation businesses. According to CCTV, no “effective rectification measures” were taken, even after significant structural hazards were discovered.
The court concluded that this negligence “resulted in major casualties and serious economic losses.”
