19 sentenced for deadly hospital fire

Nineteen people were sentenced to prison on Monday for safety violations that led to a fire at a Beijing hospital that killed 29 people and injured 42 in 2023.

Wang Wenjie, head of the Beijing Changfeng Hospital, and 18 others were convicted of causing a major liability accident and sentenced to prison terms ranging from six years and six months to two years, according to a judgment issued by a court in Beijing's Fengtai district.

The court found that the violations stemmed from a renovation site at the hospital where a construction company carried out operations in breach of regulations on April 18, 2023.