8 detained after clash at NW China coal mine
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Authorities in Yulin, a resource-rich city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, have detained eight people over Saturday's clash at a local coal mine that left dozens injured.
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The coal mine where the clash took place. |
The eight, including residents of Fanjiahe Village in Hengshan County and workers from Shandong Coal Mine, were suspected of masterminding the violence that involved almost 200 people, a spokesman with the Yulin city government said Monday.
More than 100 villagers, armed with shovels and other tools, entered the mining area at 8 a.m. Saturday. They smashed gates leading to the main shafts and other mine facilities, trying to stop production, he said.
Management of the mine mobilized more than 70 workers to drive the villagers away, he said.
The two sides ended up in a clash as they attacked each other with bricks and stones. A total of 87 people were injured, including 63 villagers and 24 mine workers, the spokesman said.
Six villagers suffered serious injuries and were sent to a hospital in downtown Yulin.
Operations at the mine were suspended Saturday as the management was reviewed and its bank account was frozen.
Investigators said the clash was triggered by an old dispute over the mine's ownership.
