Coal Mine Operation Suspended After Gas Blast

Coal mine operation suspended after gas blast

TAIYUAN, March 30 (Xinhua) — Operation of a coal mine in North China’s Shanxi Province has been suspended after a gas explosion left five people dead and 12 others injured on Wednesday.

The people who were found to be responsible for the accident have been placed under police control, and bank accounts of the coal mine and its owners have been frozen, local police sources said Thursday.

The explosion happened at the Sheke Coal Mine in Zhongyang County around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, killing four people and injuring 13 others on the spot, according to Yin Darui, head of the rescue team.

One seriously injured worker died later in hospital. All the injured are hospitalized, with one in critical condition.

Sheke Coal Mine is a village-run licensed colliery with a designed annual production capacity of 300,000 tons.

The local work safety watchdog has sent officials to inspect other coal mine operations to prevent similar accidents.

The site of the blast has been cleared up and the rescue operation was finished on Thursday afternoon.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.