Authorities are holding Sinopec and its top management responsible for a November pipeline explosion that killed 62 people and injured scores of others in the eastern port city of Qingdao .
The State Council decided yesterday an administrative demerit should be recorded against Fu Chengyu, chief of the state oil company, which operated the pipeline. Fu is one of the most prominent figures in China's oil industry.
The mayor of Qingdao, Zhang Xinqi , also received a warning administrative sanction.
The council agreed to fire Sinopec's chief safety officer, Wang Yongjian , and file major administrative demerits against general manager Wang Tianpu and deputy general manager Li Chunguang .
"We firmly abide by the conclusions by the State Council's investigative team on the accident, and we accept the disciplinary actions," Sinopec said in a statement. It apologised to the people of Qingdao and promised to check potential hazards in its pipeline network.
The authorities also endorsed disciplinary actions against 43 other people.