Chinese safety regulators blame ‘reckless greed’ after 15 die in coal mine blast
- National safety regulator says preliminary investigations point to a string of failings after gas explosion
- Nine injured miners treated in hospital after being rescued from site in Shanxi province
A coal mine explosion that killed 15 people in northern China should be blamed on “reckless greed” and neglect, the state safety regulator said on Tuesday.
The blast happened at the Ermugou mine in Pingyao county, Shanxi province, at around 1.50pm, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Nine miners were also injured in the explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a gas blast, and were in a stable condition in hospital.
There were a total of 34 workers in the pit when the explosion occurred and the rescue operation finished in the early hours of Tuesday.
The mine was owned by the town government and had an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes, a statement from the National Coal Mine Safety Administration said on Tuesday.
Initial investigations suggested that the accident happened because the management had broken the rules by mining in the wrong area and using inadequate ventilation machines, the statement said.