|
Download Poor management led to a coal mine accident that killed 45 people, the country's top safety watchdog said on Monday. The State Administration of Work Safety also vowed to close poorly managed small coal mines and urged local governments to take stricter measures to ensure safety. When the gas explosion occurred at about 5 pm on Aug 29 at Xiaojiawan Coal Mine in Panzhihua, Sichuan province, 154 miners were working in the coal mine. Forty-five people were killed, 54 injured and one missing, the administration said on its website. According to the administration, the explosion was caused by poor management at the mine: The mine's ventilation system malfunctioned; it lacked gas sensors; explosives were stockpiled in the tunnels; and the mine reached an unauthorized depth. Liu Yuntao, head of the accident investigation department of the State Administration of Work Safety, who led the investigation of the accident, told China Daily on Monday that the mine's three owners have been taken into custody and the victims' family members have been compensated by the company. "The amount of compensation varied based on factors including the age of the miners," he said. "Some miners' families got more than 1 million yuan ($157,800) in compensation." Yang Dongliang, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, criticized the mine company's disorderly management after the accident. | 
