The people responsible for three coal mine accidents in central China's Henan Province received severe punishment, and 12 of them will face penal charges, said an official of the provincial coal safety supervision bureau.
He said that those in charge of the three coal mines ignored circulars issued by the State Council and local governments on closing small coal mines, and went on with their production without improving safety conditions which caused severe accidents and killed 19 people.
The three coal mine accidents have also caused a loss of 1.39 million yuan (about US$167,500).
(People's Daily 08/03/2001)
