The owner of a footwear factory near the city of Wenling (eastern province of Zhejiang) which had collapsed on 4 July 2015, causing the death of 14 workers and injuring another 33, has received a final judgement sentencing him to 5 years in prison. The factory, built between 2011 and 2012 without complying with what were the nevertheless minimal safety regulations in force, had suddenly caved in and collapsed. Xu Fulin, the businessman who owned the factory, pleaded guilty, so receiving a reduced sentence. Additionally, following the accident he had also paid 12 million yuan (equal to 1.63 million euro) to the victims’ families, and this was also a decisive factor in convincing the judges to reduce his sentence.
China: 14 die when a footwear factory collapses (July 2015). Owner sentenced to 5 years
