A court trial Sunday sentenced an official to death with two years' reprieve and gave prison terms to nine others responsible for the bridge collapse in Qijiang County of Chongqing Municipality in southwest China in January.

Chongqing Higher People's Court ruled on the appeals by those involved in the case.

Lin Shiyuan, a former vice secretary of the Qijiang County Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, was given a two-year reprieve for disclosing information regarding the crimes of other suspects.

Lin was earlier given the death sentence for taking bribes and dereliction of duty. The court confiscated his property worth 50, 000 yuan, and bribes of 111,600 yuan.

Earlier this year, at the first hearing of an intermediate court, 12 people including Zhang Jibi, a former director of the county construction administration, Sun Li, the deputy director, He Jishen, the former deputy county head, were given prison terms from three to 13 years. And Chongqing Tongyong Industrial Technical Services Center was fined 250,000 yuan for selling shoddy construction materials to bridge contractors.

The collapse of the three year old Rainbow Bridge on January 4 killed 40 people and injured 14. (Xinhua)