China Daily reports that the People’s Court of Xiangning county ruled the nine were liable for a fatal flood in Wangijialing coal mine in March 2010.

One of the nine, Jiang Shijie, was sentenced to four years, while the other eight received three-year stretches.

The nine sentenced neglected signs of flooding and failed to take proper measures before the mine was flooded, the China Daily reports the court verdict as saying.

In the accident 38 miners were killed and 115 rescued from the flooded mine.