Following a coal mine flooding two weeks ago which left 56
miners trapped and who are now presumed dead the two heads of
Zuoyun County in Shanxi Province have resigned, the local
legislature said Saturday.
The Standing Committee of the Zuoyun County People's Congress
approved the resignations filed by Zhang Mingsheng, former county
magistrate of Zuoyun people's government and his deputy Shi Lu, who
was in charge of the county's coal production on Friday night.
The local work safety authorities had attempted to cover up the
fatal accident by reporting that only five miners were trapped.
No reason was given for their resignations but it's clear that
they took responsibility for the mining disaster.
In the more than two weeks since the flooding trapped the miners
top safety authorities have portrayed the Xinjing mine as being
plagued by mismanagement and negligence. They seek to punish the
officials involved and highlight the number of accidents occurring
in the industry.
The accident in Zuoyun, in the heart of the province,
shocked everyone. And mine managers initially attempted to cover up
the accident. However, investigators have discovered there was
over-mining going on and digging in coal seams outside the licensed
area.
Before Friday's resignations at least 10 mine managers and two
officers from a local bank had been detained and three local
government officials suspended from duty -- in a sign of apparent
collusion between the mine owners and various officials.
In another development rescuers on Sunday found the bodies of
two miners missing after a gas leak at Ni'er Coal Mine, in
southwest China's Yunnan Province, bringing the death toll in
that incident to five.
The mine in Xuanwei City collapsed at about 3 AM on Tuesday when
poisonous gas escaped into an area where 15 miners were working.
Rescue workers lifted 10 miners to safety and had recovered three
bodies by Wednesday noon.
The families of the five dead miners will receive compensation
of 181,000 yuan (US$22,625), said sources with the local
government.
An investigation into the cause of the accident continues.
(Chinadaily.com.cn, Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2006)