Many sentenced over 2022 building collapse in Changsha

The owner of a collapsed building that killed dozens of people in 2022 was sentenced to 11 years in prison on Thursday.

Wu Zhiyong, the owner, rented the building for restaurants and accommodations without legal authorization, according to the courts of Wangcheng district and Ningxiang city.

The building collapsed on April 29, 2022, in the Wangcheng district of Changsha, killing 54 people and injuring nine others.

Wu also failed to rectify problems after noticing the building's major safety risks and did not evacuate people in after clear signs of impending collapse. These failures led to major casualties and economic losses, the courts said.

Wu also deliberately damaged other people's property multiple times, they said.

The courts found Wu guilty of the crimes of causing a major accident, as well as provocation and disturbance.

The designer of the building, who was not qualified, and two people responsible for carrying out additions to the building who were also not qualified were sentenced to six to six-and-a-half years in prison, respectively.

The company that provided documents for the restructuring of the building, was fined 1 million yuan ($140,000). Six people responsible for providing documents were sentenced to two years and nine months to four years and nine months in prison with a fine. They were also banned from working in the industry for life.

Zhou Zhengmao, the former deputy head of Wangcheng district, was sentenced to 12 years in prison and given a fine for dereliction of duty and taking bribes. Four other former officials of Wangcheng district and Hunan province who neglected their duty were sentenced to three years and nine months to five years and six months in prison.

The sentences were handed down based on facts, damages and the suspects admissions and reflections on their behavior.

An investigative report on the incident last year by the State Council concluded that the incident resulted directly from illegal construction. The report said the five-story building — which was later extended to eight stories — was of poor quality and could not support itself after the extension.

The report also said that authorities in Hunan province, Changsha, and the local Wangcheng district were sluggish in rectifying the illegal construction, neglected their responsibilities in daily oversight and were negligent in delivering punishment for unlawful behavior.

Four officials supervised by the Communist Party of China Central Committee were held accountable for being derelict in their duties, and 62 public servants were held accountable for violations of discipline and law related to the incident, the report said.

Xinhua News Agency contributed to this story.