Six people liable for last year's gas well burst accident, which killed 243 and injured over 4,000 in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, were brought to court to face trial Wednesday morning.

The hearing, which started at 9:30 AM and is expected to last for three days, was held by the No. 2 Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing.

A special police team on the case found after investigation that the six, namely Wu Hua, Wu Bin, Xiao Xiansu, Wang Jiandong, Song Tao and Xiang Yiming, should bear responsibility for the accident because of their dereliction of duty.

The industrial disaster, regarded the worst one in China in recent years, took place at 10:00 PM on Dec. 23, 2003, at a natural gas field in Kaixian County operated by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), when a well burst and released a high concentration of natural gas and sulfurated hydrogen.

CNPC general manager Ma Fucai resigned in April with an acknowledgment of breach of duty.

Representatives of residents in Gaoqiao township, a place most severely hit by the accident, were present at the hearing.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2004)