As the euphoria fades over the rescue of 69 miners trapped for three days in a flooded coal mine in Henan, questions are being raised over how the accident actually occurred.
A group of investigators sent from the State Administration of Work Safety and the provincial government was looking into the accident and had ordered a freeze on the bank account of the flooded Zhijian coal mine in Shan county, Beijing News reported yesterday.
The investigation came as media and authorities hailed the rescue efforts as 'a miracle', given that most mining accidents on the mainland incur high casualty figures.
Meanwhile, all but two of the 69 miners rescued had left hospital after thorough medical checks. The remaining two need further observation, but could be allowed to leave hospital today, Xinhua reported.
Mining fatalities have been declining, but 1,799 coal miners died in 1,066 accidents in the first half of this year because of the mainland's insatiable demand for energy and profiteering on the part of unscrupulous operators.
Shan county officials in charge of mining production had said 102 miners were doing repairs underground when the flood occurred on Sunday as a result of a heavy downpour. Thirty-three of those miners escaped.
But the Beijing News, quoting miners and a provincial work-safety watchdog official, said the workers were actually involved in mining even though the colliery had failed a safety check in April.
Beijing News said engineers believed faulty design in the location of the shaft entrance could also be to blame for the influx of floodwater.
Yima Coal Industrial Group said it lost 10 million yuan after it was ordered to help with the rescue.
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