Mine owner charged with covering up deaths
( 2003-06-25 13:53) (null)
|
Rescuers make their way down to the Luling coal
mine in Anhui province's city of Huaibei, where 64 workers died after a
gas explosion ripped through the coal mine on May 14th 2003.
[Xinhua] | A mine owner in northwest China's
Gansu Province was detained for covering up deaths in a mine accident on Jun. 9.
Ma Zhongguo, owner of the mine in Yongdeng County in Lanzhou City, had
reported a total of five workers died of carbon dioxide poisoning, but the exact
number of deaths proved to be 19, according to local police.
An investigation group was sent to the spot immediately after the disaster
and discovered the truth from local people on Jun. 22.
Ma surrendered to the investigation group later, admitting he had covered up
14 deaths by giving 73,000 yuan (US$8,795) to the relatives of each dead miner
in exchange for their silence.
Further investigations are still underway.
|
