Violation of safety rules blamed for deadly gas blast

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 04, 2004

Violation of safety rules blamed for deadly gas blast

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Violations of work safety rules and illegal operations led to the deadly coal mine gas blast Monday that killed 28 miners in Jiexiu City, north China's Shanxi Province, an investigation team said Wednesday.

The explosion at the Jinshanpo Coal Mine occurred Monday night when 32 miners were working underground. Only four escaped.

"The accident was totally avoidable," said Yan Yanliang, director of Jiexiu City Bureau of Work Safety. "All the miners should have been withdrawn from the mine after the electricity wascut."

Provincial investigators found that Lu Shengliang, the manager of the mine, had organized miners to work underground without government permission to operate since Feb. 5. Under official regulations, coal mines have to pass safety inspections every year.

The ventilation equipment stopped working at about 6:48 p.m. Monday after a blackout hit the mine. However, Lu ordered the miners to keep working. The explosion happened when the gas concentrated at a dangerous level at about 11 p.m. the same day.

The period between the blackout and the explosion was long enough to recall the miners to the surface, investigators said.

Rescue workers had found all the bodies, most of whom were residents of Jiexiu.

Lu Shengliang has been held by local police for questioning as investigations continue.

Opened in 1987, the township-owned coal mine had an annual production capacity of 90,000 tons.

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