1. The Gas Explosion at an Illegal Coal Mine in Qujing City of Yunnan Province on February 15.

At 14:30, February 15, a gas explosion occurred at an unlicensed coal mine in Shangzele Village, Zhuyuan Town, Fuyuan County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, resulting in 27 deaths (including 10 women workers) and 15 injuries.

The coal mine was illegally opened by Zhang Laopei, a local villager, in December 2003. Upon detection of the small unlicensed mine, the law enforcement group at Zhuyuan Town ordered it to close down, in February 2004. At the beginning of December 2004, Zhang Laopei, in collusion with Zhao Tuqiang, another local villager, organized people to break into the sealed-off mine, for the resumption of illegal production. Up to February 15, 2005, when the accident occurred, approximately 1,500 tons of raw coal had been mined illegally.

In this one-shaft mine, a 1.5 kW air-blower, not for special use in underground coal mines, was used to ventilate the workings through an air duct, 100mm in diameter, made up with plastic-woven material; the air-blower and the submersible pump, not for special use in underground coal mines either, were powered through naked switches, connectors and sockets, and lighting wire that are prohibited in underground coal mines; and no gas detection had ever been conducted. Investigation indicates that on the day of the accident, the morning shift crew mistakenly opened a mined-out area, resulting in dense gas emission, which was later ignited to explode by the sparking when starting the submersible pump.

At present, the accident investigation report is awaiting approval.

2. The Gas Explosion at the Xiangyuangou Coal Mine in Luliang City of Shanxi Province on March 9.

On March 9, a gas explosion occurred at the second pit of Xiangyuangou coal mine in Lingdi Town, Jiaocheng County, Luliang City, Shanxi Province, resulting in 29 deaths and 5 injuries.

The Xiangyuangou coal mine is owned by the local government of Lingdi Town, but privately operated on a contractual basis. The mine consists of three pits, of which the second pit was the site of the accident. The second pit is one undergoing capital construction, as it was approved in 1994 and began construction in October 2001. It is a high gassy pit, with a designed annual capacity of 300,000 tons. The pit was developed through slopes. The main and auxiliary slopes were completed and the return slope was still under construction. At the time of the accident, installation of the main fan was under way in the auxiliary slope, which was to be used temporarily for air return.

The design of safety facilities at the pit failed to go through examination with the coal mine safety watchdog, a circumstance under which a pit would be barred from construction or production, in accordance with the relevant provisions. On February 13, 2004, the local coal mine safety watchdog issued a decision on suspending the pit's operation. And the county government ordered the pit's suspension as many as seven times successively, and locked up and sealed off the winch at its auxiliary shaft. However, the mine owner, showing no respect for the safety watchdog's decision as well as the county government's enforcement measures, destroyed the lock, removed the seal and illegally organized construction and production, by taking advantage of the absence of the designated safety inspector who took a leave without approval of the county safety watchdog. Disregarding the circumstances that all the main systems at the pit were not in place, two coalfaces and six heading faces were put into operation, which went far beyond the capacity of the ventilation system to support the work. (According to the mine design, operation was only allowed on one coalface and two heading faces.) Poor local ventilation control and inadequate ventilation to the heading faces led to gas accumulations, which were then ignited to explode by the sparking from the short-circuiting of the signal cable in the heading.

After the accident occurred, the police authorities at Jiaocheng County detained the legal representative, the manager-in-charge, the mine manager, the production manager, and the on-shift manager, altogether five people with the mine. The Party committee of Jiaocheng County decided on dispelling the county-government-designated safety inspector from the Party, on giving a serious warning to the county's population and family planning chief, who arbitrarily recalled the inspector from duty, as well as on suspending the posts of the director of the county's coal management center, the deputy secretary of the Party committee of Lingdi Town (concurrently as the head of the town), and the vice head of the town. At present, the accident investigation continues.

3. The Gas Explosion at the Xinfu Coal Mine in Qitaihe City of Heilongjiang Province on March 14.

At 11:40, March 14, a gas explosion occurred at the "Sanqu Yicai" pit of the Xinfu coal mine of Qitaihe Mining Industry Clean Coal (Group) Company in Heilongjiang Province, resulting in 18 deaths and 1 injury.

The pit began construction in 1985. Since coal resource mined thereat was owned by Qitaihe Mining Industry Clean Coal (Group) Company, the company took over the pit in 1997, and put it under the control of the Xinfu coal mine latter. In June 2003, the pit was renamed as "Sanqu Yicai" of Xinfu coal mine. It has a designed annual capacity of 30,000 tons but is actually capable of producing no more than 12,000 tons per year.

Investigation has found that the pit failed to meet work safety standards. In November 2004, the local coal mine safety watchdog issued a notice ordering the suspension of its operation. And at the same time, the safety inspection agency within Qitaihe Mining Industry Clean Coal (Group) Company issued a similar notice demanding it to suspend its operation and conduct safety improvements. However, it organized production without being authorized from February 19, 2005. Due to long-time stoppage of ventilation on the heading face, gas accumulated to the critical level for explosion, which was later ignited to explode by the sparking as a miner replaced the bulb on his switched-on headlamp.

The pit has been ordered to close down. At present, the accident investigation continues.

4. The Gas Explosion at the Sulongsi Coal Mine in Fengjie County of Chongqing Municipality on March 17.

At 14:30, March 17, a gas explosion occurred at the Sulongsi coal mine in Xinzheng Town, Fengjie County, Chongqing Municipality, resulting in 19 deaths.

The mine, which began construction in 1990, has a designed annual capacity of 10,000 tons. But its actual production approaches 20,000 tons per year. It is a low gassy mine, adopting a stock holding system.

Preliminary investigation has found that, the mine used to be classified into the "D" category, an indication of those which fail to meet work safety standards, and therefore must suspend their operations and conduct safety improvements. The Chongqing Coal Mine Safety Inspection Bureau ordered all coal mines of the "D" category in Fengjie County to suspend their operations and conduct safety improvements; the relevant announcement was made on Chongqing Daily, a local newspaper. And on March 3, 2005, the Coal Industry Bureau of Fengjie County issued a notice ordering the Sulongsi mine to suspend its operation and conduct safety improvements. Regrettably, it refused to comply and continued its production. Ventilation was re-circulated on the irregular face of a coal road by an auxiliary fan, causing gas accumulations on the face, which was later ignited to explode by the sparking from plugging-in of a coal drill.

After the accident occurred, three owners of the mine and a safety observer were detained by the police. At present, the accident investigation continues.

5. The Gas Explosion at the Xishui Coal Mine in Shuozhou City of Shanxi Province on March 19.

At 12:15, March 19, a gas explosion occurred at the Xishui coal mine in Baitang Town, Pinglu District, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, which immediately tore through the neighboring Kangjiayao coal mine. It resulted in a death toll of 72 (52 for the Xishui mine and 20 for the Kangjiayao mine).

The Xishui mine, which began construction in 1993, was jointly operated by two villages (Xishui Village and Baozi Village) in Baitang Town of Pinglu District. The mine, a low gassy one, was developed by slopes, with a designed production capacity of 150,000 tons per year.

In June 2004, the mine was ordered by the local coal mine safety watchdog to suspend its operation, as it had been found to arbitrarily transform its main shaft systems and fail to apply for a work safety license. In November 2004, the people's government of Pinglu District issued a notice ordering it to suspend its operation and conduct safety improvements. However, the mine refused to comply; instead, it purchased explosives on the black market, and subsequently organized illegal mining activities. Moreover, operation of six coalfaces and one heading face was carried out by running risks of inadequate ventilation, causing dense gas accumulations to a critical level as a result of short-circuiting of air at the face, which was later ignited to explode by cap-and-fuse blasting. The result of the accident became even worse as the Xishui mine and the Kangjiayao mine were interlinked by entries underground.

After the accident occurred, five mine managers, two controllers, a supervisor designated by the Coal Industry Bureau of Pinglu District to the mine, as well as a local police station chief in Youyu County who was involved in illegal trafficking of explosives, were detained by the police. At present, the accident investigation continues.