Bosses imprisoned for deadly fire in China

CHANGCHUN - The managers of a Chinese poultry farm were sentenced on Friday for negligence that resulted in a fire and the death of 121 employees in Jilin Province in 2013, the local court said on Saturday.

Chairman of Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Co., Jia Yushan, was sentenced to nine years in prison for not ensuring the working environment was safe, the Chaoyang district court in Changchun City ruled on Friday. Jia was also ordered to pay one million yuan ($161,300) of fine.

The company's former general manager, Zhang Yushen, was sentenced to four years in prison for installing sub-standard equipment, which was directly responsible for casualties.

Lyu Yandong, former chief of the fire department in Dehui City, where the poultry farm was located, received five and half years in prison for abuse of power. His deputy, Liu Guicai, was slapped with a five year prison term.

On June 3, 2013, a fire and its subsequent explosions killed 121 people and injured 76 others.