Ou Shuwei, general manger of the Chuandong Drilling Company, has been sacked in connection with a gas blowout that caused 233 deaths in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality late last year.

The gas blowout in Kaixian County on Dec. 23, 2003, caused in part by careless drilling, resulted in grave loss of lives and property. As the former head of the drilling company, Ou should take the blame for the disaster, said Liao Yongyuan, director of the Sichuan Provincial Petroleum Administration.

The administration also punished 15 other managing staff of the company to various extents in connection with the disaster.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Chinese central government and the State Council sent a team of investigators to Chongqing to trace the causes of the disaster and have punished several officials with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Sichuan Provincial Petroleum Administration.

Liao noted "the decision has been made in accordance with relevant decisions of the State Council and the CNPC".

Li Yi, the newly appointed general manager of the Chuandong Drilling Company, said all the staff will bear in mind the lessons from the disaster and will pay close attention to production safety.