Photo taken on Aug. 2, 2014 shows the factory blast site in Kunshan City, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo: Xinhua/Wang Hengzhi)
Courts in east China's Jiangsu Province on Wednesday sentenced 14 people to prison terms for various offenses related to an explosion at a factory in 2014 that left 146 dead.
Sentences ranged from three to seven and half years for the crimes of causing a major labor safety accident or dereliction of duty, said a publicity official of Suzhou City.
The owner and top managers of Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products Co. Ltd., local firefighting officers and supervisors, and officials in charge of work safety supervision and environmental protection in Kunshan City were among those jailed.
The 14 stood trial at five different courts in Suzhou, including Kunshan City People's Court and Zhangjiagang City People's Court, which announced the verdicts on Wednesday.
Kunshan is under the administrative jurisdiction of Suzhou City.
The blast happened on Aug. 2, 2014 at a wheel hub polishing workshop, killing 146 and injuring another 114. Direct economic loss reached 350 million yuan (53.2 million U.S. dollars), according to the official.
Investigators found the explosion followed the ignition of metal dust in the workshop.
