Prosecutors in north China have issued arrest warrants for 13 people wanted in connection with a coal mine gas blast that killed 105 miners and injured 18 others last week.
The explosion occurred at 11:15 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Xinyao Coal Mine, Hongtong County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province, when 128 miners were working in the shaft, far more than the maximum of 60 miners for one shift as approved by Shanxi coal mine authority.
An investigation of the provincial work safety authorities found that Fan Baoying and Liu Ting, the safety inspectors at the mine, managed by Ruizhiyuan Coal Mining Co. Ltd, left their posts without permission, delaying reporting of the accident and the rescue operation.
Another inspector, Ma Haiqiang, was named on a warrant for allegedly failing to identify safety risks in the pit.
Song Yuepeng, an official of the coal mine safety supervision bureau in Hongdong County, allegedly ignored the fact that the Xinyao Coal Mine was operated in an unapproved area. He was also accused of lax management.
Hao Heping, an inspector of the Linfen coal mine supervision bureau, was also on the warrant for an alleged failure to take any measures after he discovered the safety hazards in the mine.
Another six people, including the mine manager, vice manager, technicians and engineers, are wanted for alleged dereliction of duty.
Also named of warrants issued by the provincial procuratorate were Zhao Jianji, for allegedly concealing those wanted in connection with the incident, and Zheng Junqiang, who is accused of destroying evidence. The warrants gave no other details on them.
It was reported that the colliery managers delayed reporting the accident to local authorities while sending another 37 workers down the shaft for rescue operations.
Local police sources said they found and detained Wang Donghai, owner of Xinyao coal mine on Saturday, who allegedly went into hiding after the blast occurred.
The management company's legal representative, Wang Hongliang, who exercised management over the coal mine, was also caught in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi Province, on Friday.
The accident is believed to be the nation's second deadliest mining accident this year. In August, 181 miners died when heavy rains flooded two mines in eastern Shandong Province.
Source: Xinhua
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