China sentences 20 people to prison for being involved in deadly fire at CCTV’s headquarters

China sentences 20 to prison for CCTV fire

BEIJING — A Beijing court sentenced 20 people to up to seven years in prison on Monday over last year’s deadly fire at state broadcaster CCTV’s iconic headquarters.

Xu Wei, the station’s former construction chief, received the harshest sentence after he pleaded guilty last month to ordering an illegal fireworks display that triggered the blaze, CCTV and the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Nineteen others were given sentences ranging from three to six-and-a-half years for procuring industrial-grade fireworks and setting them off without the proper safety permits, Xinhua said, citing a statement from the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People’s Court.

The Feb. 9, 2009, fire was a huge embarrassment for the government and CCTV, which has been forced to delay moving to the futuristic complex in downtown Beijing that symbolized its hopes of becoming a powerful international media presence. Premier Wen Jiabao publicly ordered a Cabinet-level investigation into the disaster after rejecting a hastily prepared initial study.

The blaze engulfed parts of the complex, leaving one firefighter dead and eight others injured. The 520-foot (159-meter) Mandarin Oriental hotel in the compound, only weeks away from opening, was gutted.

The 5 billion yuan ($731 million) complex also houses the network’s headquarters — a pair of enormous, leaning buildings of black glass and steel that were not damaged in the fire.

The others convicted and sentenced included CCTV staffers as well as employees from two construction companies that were responsible for fire prevention and security during the fireworks display.