China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has punished officials held responsible for a gas pipe explosion that killed 10 people and a leak that led to the evacuation of thousands of residents.

The gas well leak in March 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 sulfureted hydrogen in the air has now returned to State-required standards.

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

Details of a further accident, when a fire occurred in a petroleum company in Northwest China's Gansu Province, were also released yesterday by CNPC.

Four workers were killed and 11 injured in the fire in late May, it said.

Punishments will be issued 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.

Source: China Daily