China's State Council is to set up a special team to investigate
the flooding of a coalmine in southern Guangdong Province that
might have killed 123 miners.
Rescue headquarters said on Wednesday that Li Yizhong, director
of the National Bureau of Production Safety Supervision and
Administration, is putting the team together.
Rescue work at the Daxing Coalmine in Xingning City, is
underway. At least 123 miners were trapped when the coalmine
flooded at about 1:30 PM on Sunday. Rescuers said that it was
unlikely that any of the trapped miners has survived.
By Wednesday evening, rescuers recovered the body of one of the
trapped miners.
Rescuers have yet to find the exact point of entry of the flood,
according to the headquarters.
By 9 PM Wednesday, more than 610 families of the victims had
arrived at Huanghuai Township, where the mine is located. They are
being put up at nine hotels in Xingning, said Zhao Ganlin, deputy
secretary of the Xingning Municipal Committee of Communist Party of
China.
Other miners who work with the privately-run Daxing Coalmine
have returned to their homes. The provincial government of
Guangdong ordered the suspension of all coalmines in the province
for "thorough" safety examinations.
Chen Xiaodong, who is from Dongjiang Town of neighboring Jiangxi
Province and has worked with Daxing for more than one year, stood
at a crossroad of the township with his bags, looking a little
lost.
"The mine is really closed this time," Chen said.
Local government announced on Wednesday that police seized 11
people, including the owner, manager, board chairman and chief
technician of Daxing, all of who ran away after the accident.
Also on Wednesday, two officials were given warnings for not
having performed their duties in the rescue work.
Shi Quan, who is on duty at the mine, and Zeng Xianji, an
official with the Xingning City Coal Industry Bureau, were accused
of not giving timely and accurate reports on the water level in the
flooded shaft.
Rescue headquarters has warned that anyone found to be
neglecting their rescue duties will be removed from their posts
immediately.
Two mayors, who have been blamed for the incident have been
suspended, local government announced on Tuesday.
He Zhengba, mayor of Meizhou, and Zeng Xianghai, mayor of
Xingning, were accused of not properly supervising the coalmines
under their jurisdiction, according to the provincial
government.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2005)