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CCTV official admits part in fatal blaze
By Wang Xiang |
March 23, 2010, Tuesday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
AN official with China Central Television pleaded guilty for his part in a fatal blaze that gutted a hotel in the national television's new headquarters last year when he stood trial with 20 others this morning.
The fire was allegedly triggered by an illegal fireworks show. The suspects were charged with causing an accident with dangerous goods at Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court. No media were allowed into the courtroom.
Xu Wei, the main organizer of the fireworks display and the first defendant in the case, confessed it was his idea to throw a 20-minute firework show on February 9, 2009, to celebrate the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival despite regulations that banned unauthorized fireworks in downtown Beijing.
A fireman was killed in that blaze and more than 160 million yuan (US$23.43 million) worth of property was engulfed in the fire, according to Beijing Evening News today.
Fifty-year old Xu said he thought it was no big deal to put on a fireworks show. He said he thought it was like having a party with friends and he never dreamed the outcome could be this devastating.
Xu's lawyer Gao Zicheng refused to comment on the case. But he told reporters beforehand that Xu could not be found guilty of causing an accident as he had no intention or awareness of the potential risk.
Gao said Xu's only fault was that he failed to obtain a permit from higher authorities and that has no direct relation with the accident.
Xu did not check the qualifications of the firework company to make sure it was capable of pulling off such a grand show, the prosecutors said. Later investigations found three workers who lit the fireworks had no license to operate pyrotechnics.
Seven of the 21 defendants were CCTV staffers. Six of them were from constructors of the new headquarters, according to a former report.
The fire was allegedly triggered by an illegal fireworks show. The suspects were charged with causing an accident with dangerous goods at Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court. No media were allowed into the courtroom.
Xu Wei, the main organizer of the fireworks display and the first defendant in the case, confessed it was his idea to throw a 20-minute firework show on February 9, 2009, to celebrate the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival despite regulations that banned unauthorized fireworks in downtown Beijing.
A fireman was killed in that blaze and more than 160 million yuan (US$23.43 million) worth of property was engulfed in the fire, according to Beijing Evening News today.
Fifty-year old Xu said he thought it was no big deal to put on a fireworks show. He said he thought it was like having a party with friends and he never dreamed the outcome could be this devastating.
Xu's lawyer Gao Zicheng refused to comment on the case. But he told reporters beforehand that Xu could not be found guilty of causing an accident as he had no intention or awareness of the potential risk.
Gao said Xu's only fault was that he failed to obtain a permit from higher authorities and that has no direct relation with the accident.
Xu did not check the qualifications of the firework company to make sure it was capable of pulling off such a grand show, the prosecutors said. Later investigations found three workers who lit the fireworks had no license to operate pyrotechnics.
Seven of the 21 defendants were CCTV staffers. Six of them were from constructors of the new headquarters, according to a former report.
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