Officials held responsible for a gas pipe explosion which resulted in the deaths of 10 people and a leak requiring the evacuation of thousands of residents in March have been punished by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) 

The March gas well leak in Kaixian County in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality forced 15,000 people from their homes.

A gas pipe explosion in January in Renshou County in Sichuan Province, also in the southwest of the country, left 10 people dead and 50 injured.

Four bureau directors with the southwest branch of the corporation have now been disciplined for the incidents according to the official website of CNPC. A report by China Business News said the corporation would announce specific details of the punishments next week.

Tests at 15 environmental monitoring spots around the area of the gas well leak in March have revealed the content of toxic substances in the air is now within state-required standards.

Located in Gaoqiao Town of Kaixian County the gas well is in the vicinity of Luojia No. 16H Gas Well where an explosion killed 243 people in December 2003.

Details of a further incident involving a fire at the premises of a petroleum company in northwest China's Gansu Province were also released yesterday by the CNPC. It said four workers were killed and 11 injured in the fire in late May. 

Punishments will be decided after Gansu provincial government completes its investigations, sources said.

Nearly 270 officials at CNPC have been handed various punishments since last year because of accidents.

(China Daily July 13, 2006)