Sixty-three people have been penalized over a pipeline explosion that claimed 62 lives in Qingdao, Shandong province, in late November, the State Council said in a statement on Friday.

Among them, 48 received punishments for violating Party and administrative discipline, and 15 others have been transferred to judicial organs for alleged crimes, the statement said.

Fu Chengyu, chairman of Sinopec, owner of the pipeline and China's second-largest oil producer, and Qingdao Mayor Zhang Xinqi received administrative punishments.