Probe ordered into colliery accident
By Qiu Quanlin (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-12 05:58

XINGNING, Guangdong Province: A national investigation team was officially set up by the State Council China's cabinet yesterday to find the cause of the Daxing Coal Mine accident in Xingning, Guangdong Province.

While principal work is still focused on rescuing the 122 miners still trapped underground, an investigation into the accident's cause is also urgent, Li Yizhong, director of the investigation team, told a press conference in Xingning, yesterday.

"We should find out why the accident happened as quickly as possible, so we can prevent such disasters from happening again," said Li, also director of the National Bureau of Production Safety Supervision and Administration.

Preliminary investigation suggests the local government had not been properly supervising mines in the area. The Daxing mine had been operating for several years without the necessary production licences, Li said.

"Daxing continued mining even after the Guangdong provincial government issued an order to suspend production at all local mines in the wake of the tragedy on July 14 in Xingning that killed 16 miners,

"The coal mine obtained a safety certificate early in June, but it was found not to meet the mine production safety standard. We should find out why the local government approved the certificate," Li added.

According to Li, management officials of the coal mine and some top local officials should bear responsibility for the accident.

Prior to yesterday, two local officials Meizhou Mayor He Zhengba, and Xingning Mayor Zeng Xianghai had been removed from their posts for failing to properly supervise the mine.

After setting up the investigation team, Li said the central government and related departments are determined to make mines adhere to safety and production standards.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate will also be involved in the investigation, Li said.

Meanwhile, fifteen miners trapped in a flooded coal mine in East China's Jiangxi Province for over a month have been confirmed dead, Xinhua reported yesterday.

The flooding occurred at around 4:00 pm on July 7 in a licensed coal mine located in Shangli County when 16 miners were working underground, just one miner escaped.

All the dead miners were local farmers.

(China Daily 08/12/2005 page2)

Close

Chimpanzee suffers from smoking addiction The tide is high but they're holding on China, Russia military drills stage landing

Today's Top News     Top China News
EU, China begin talks on textile row         Joint forces storm beaches at climax of drills         Taiwan students on mainland given level fees         Japan, China to jointly develop 4G mobile         China says market to decide yuan's value         CCTV sends record invitations for festival	Temasek close to buying BOC stake - FT       N. Korea nuclear talks likely as planned       Japan, China to jointly develop 4G mobile       Two bus accidents claim 33, injure 56       NPC debates further raising tax threshold       Farmers protest over alleged lead poisoning