Chen Jicheng, former chairman of the board of directors of a fireworks factory, was sentenced to death

Chen Jicheng, former chairman of the board of directors of a fireworks factory, was sentenced to death for producing explosives illegally and causing explosion killing 36 in December 2003 in Tieling, a city in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. 
The verdict was issued by Tieling Municipal Intermediate People's Court. An explosion hit Changtu Safe Environment Friendly Fireworks Company Limited on December 30, 2003, killing 36 and injuring 32 workers.
Chen was also convicted of loan fraud, according to the court. With genuine or fake identities, Chen obtained 2.59 million yuan (312,048 US dollars) of loans from March 1996 to December 1999.  To avoid repayment, he fled to Liaoning with a fake identity card in 2001.
Chen set up a fireworks plant in Fushun in May 2002, but local police soon closed it. He then ran another fireworks plant in Siping, but it was also forced to close in December 2002, according to the court.  Chen was persistent in the fireworks business and opened another fireworks plant in Changtu County.
He reportedly started fireworks production before obtaining legal permits or giving workers sufficient training, which caused the tragedy.