19 cited for mine deaths held for criminal charges
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, August 29, 2012
Nineteen people responsible for a coal mine gas leak in southwestern Yunnan Province that killed 43 miners in 2010 are being held for criminal investigation, the State Administration of Work Safety said yesterday.
Among the group, seven from the Sizhuang Coal Mine in Shizong County, including the owner Liang Yonghui, were prosecuted for causing the accident and 10 local coal industry bureau officials were charged with dereliction of duty.
Also, Sheng Zhong, then deputy director of the county, was brought to court this April for corruption and Wang Jianzhong, then Party chief of the county, was accused of severely violating discipline in his contact with Sizhuang Coal Mine.
Another 13 Party officials also were punished.
The accident occurred on November 10, 2010 when a powerful gas blast hit two underground platforms and trapped 43 miners, who were buried and suffocated.
The investigation showed workers did not follow procedures, causing a massive amount of coal dust to mix with gas and fill the underground platforms.
The privately run mine was operating illegally, having had its production licenses revoked before the explosion, according to the statement.
The coal mine was fined 5 million yuan (US$786,500) and had 17.3 million yuan confiscated which was money made while licenses were revoked.
Each of the families of 35 victims whose bodies have been retrieved have been paid 660,000 yuan, while families of the eight others, whose bodies have yet to be found, have been paid 700,000 yuan each.
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