From China News Agency, via sina.com, translated by CDT:
Three recent coal mine accidents during Nov. 25-26 angered Li Yizhong (ÊùéÊØÖ‰∏≠), minister of the State Coal Mine Safety Administration (ÂõΩÂÆ∂ÂÆâÁõëÊĪ±Ä) during a national tele-conference televised by CCTV’s “360 degrees” program.
Li said that the three coal mines, according to preliminary investigations, were all closed mines or suspended mines, but they illegally resumed production. On the one hand, it was the drive for interests of these mine owners who would risk others’ lives for profits, Li noted. On the other hand, it was the lack of supervision. Li specially named Qujing City (Êõ≤ÈùñÂ∏Ç) government not implementing directives to close the mine issued from Yunnan provincial government. It was “challenging the law and authority of the state coal mine safety management, and it was very severe,” Li exploded. The Qujing accident killed 32.
Li also disclosed that some local coal mines, with the backing of local governments, defied orders to shut down. There were 23 mines in Qujing that were supposed to close but resumed operation.
Some mines, after a national order to close mines of under 30,000-ton capacity, easily got their mining capacity inflated, so that they could keep producing without apparently violating the law. [Full Text in Chinese]
