Chinese Mine Ignored Safety Warnings Before Deadly Explosion

The late-night explosion at the Xinxing coal mine in Chinas Hegang city on November 21 was the countrys deadliest mine disaster in four years. But could over 100 lives have been saved?

According to this Southern Weekend report entitled 43 Deadly Minutes, at 1:37 am on November 21—43 minutes before the deadly explosion—(quote) The dispatching station received a report: gas concentration has exceeded the safety level by 12 percent.

Mr. Li, who declined to give his first name, lost his brother to the disaster. He told Sound of Hope Radio that the mine operator ignored the safety warning.

[Mr. Li, Brother of Mine Explosion Victim]
After the gas monitoring technician discovered the gas level, he took my brothers team of eight people out of the mine. But the leader of Team 113 didnt let them out. He said, Dont listen to him (the gas monitoring technician), hes just bluffing, nothing will happen. The team leader told my brother to go back down to the mine.

The official death toll from the disaster stands at 108. However, relatives of victims question this figure. They say that more than 800 people were at mine that night, not just the 500 claimed by the mining company—meaning more than 108 might have died.

Mr. Li says the company was secretive in removing the bodies from the mine.

[Mr. Li, Brother of Mine Explosion Victim]:
They waited until the investigation team from Beijing left, and didnt dare to carry out the bodies during the day, in case victims relatives would make trouble on the scene. They began carrying out the bodies at night, at around 1 am, and the whole time there were military police on guard.

The coal mine has assigned the family of each victim a so-called comfort team. But Mr. Li says that instead of assisting his grieving family, the team was violent when his family tried to ask questions. He says the coal mine has also refused to let them see his brothers body.

China has the world's deadliest coal mining industry. Last year, more than 3,000 people were killed in floods, explosions, collapses and other mining accidents.

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[gmcbuses]

The boss of that mine should be charged with murder. As soon as the gas levels wher too high, they should of been evacuated.

[videochemist]

god damn it when will people learn? when will the real revolution take place? what happened 60 years ago wasn't a revolution, just a reorganization of power amongst the elites. human life will always mean nothing in china until the real revolution takes place.