China penalises 63 officials for pipeline blast

China has penalised 63 officials, including the chairman of oil giant Sinopec, for their negligence in duty that caused a fatal pipeline blast in an eastern city last year,leaving 62 people dead and 136 injured.

Among those penalised, 48 received punishments for violating administrative disciplines, and 15 others have been transferred to judicial organs for alleged crimes, an official statement said.

The blast occurred in Qingdao city on November 22.

Fu Chengyu, chairman of China's second-biggest oil producer and operator of the pipeline, and Qingdao Mayor Zhang Xinqi received administrative punishments, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, nine people, including seven officials of the state owned oil firm, were taken into custody in connection the last week's oil pipeline leakage and blasts.