A former Shaanxi province official who outraged the nation when he was photographed smiling at the scene of a fatal road accident last year was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison on corruption charges.

Yang Dacai, the former head of the Shaanxi work safety administration, was found guilty in Xi'an Intermediate People's Court of taking bribes and holding a large amount of property that he cannot account for.

He was photographed smiling at the spot of a serious traffic accident on Aug 26, 2012, in which 36 people were killed and four were injured, on a highway in Ansai in northern Shaanxi. The photo sparked widespread anger online.