Families of Jixi mine victims compensated
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-02-28 09:22

The families of 27 people killed in a coal mine explosion in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Monday received a total of 1.82 million yuan (US$219,000) in compensation from local labor and social security departments on Friday.

The local government will pay a total of 2.43 million yuan (US$293,000) for all the 37 victims, said He Fuku, director of the labor and social security bureau of Jixi City.

The bodies of the last three trapped miners were found in the Baixing Coal Mine in Jixi at 2:30 pm Friday and 24 have been cremated so far, said He.

The blast occurred at 6:10 am Monday when 37 miners were working in the shaft about 300 meters below the ground. Poisonous gas residues in the shaft slowed the rescue work.

Among the trapped miners, aged between 22 and 49, 30 were locals or former workers laid off from local enterprises that had gone bankrupt and seven were from Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Baixing Coal Mine was shut down on February 6 by the local coal mine production safety department because of potential safety problems and the company that operates the mine was fined 20,000 yuan (US$2,400). However, the owner, Wang Shijun, resumed production on February 9 despite warnings.

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