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Mine owners hid 17 bodies after blast
Investigation into Shanxi accident reveals cover-up
SHIRLEY WU and AGENCIES in Beijing
15/07/2005
Owners of a coal mine in Shanxi played down the death toll from an explosion two weeks ago by hiding or sending to neighbouring Inner Mongolia at least 17 bodies.
The cover-up was revealed yesterday by the State Administration for Work Safety on its website.
Rescuers found 19 bodies in the Jiajiapu mine in Ningwu county following a blast on July 2. But they could not determine exactly how many died.
Authorities discovered after an investigation that the bodies of seven miners had been stored at a hospital. Another three were taken to a crematorium 150km away in Ulanqab and seven more to Fengzhen , both in Inner Mongolia.
The death toll might rise further, according to the investigation team, which is continuing its inquiry. The mine was operating illegally, Xinhua said. Police have detained Wang Jianwu, the mine's legal officer, and Hou Yuefang, a mine contractor, Xinhua said.
Gong Anku , director of the Shanxi Coal Mine Safety Supervision Administration, was quoted as saying those responsible for the accident would be punished.
Robin Munro, research director of the China Labour Bulletin in Hong Kong, called the incident shocking.
"It is clear from this case that some miner owners who ignore basic safety laws are virtually getting away with murder," he said.
Labour rights activists and state media reports indicate it is common for mine owners to cover up deaths to avoid punishment.
Coal prices on the mainland have nearly doubled this year because of strong demand for fuel from power plants, and the steel and cement sectors.
The high prices have encouraged many mine owners to run illegal and dangerous operations.
More than 6,000 miners were killed in 3,600 underground accidents last year, official figures show.
On Monday, 83 workers were killed in an explosion in the Shenlong coal mine in Fukang , Xinjiang .
In February, in the mainland's worst mine disaster since 1949, 214 miners died in a blast in Liaoning province .
Zhang Li , of the China Coal Industry Development Research Centre in Beijing, said owners were often merely paying lip- service to safety concerns.
"Safety as a priority is only a slogan [of mine owners]. Personal interests are always placed first."
In the case of the Shenlong mine, the site produced 170,000 tonnes of coal in the first half of the year, far beyond its usual annual output of 30,000 tonnes.