Mine Owner Responsible for Gas Explosion Under Arrest

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 28, 2001

Mine Owner Responsible for Gas Explosion Under Arrest

An Jin, the owner of the Daquanwan Coal Mine in Shanxi Province, who was responsible for the mine blast a week ago, was arrested in Zhangjiakou, a city in the neighboring Hebei Province. Altogether 14 miners were still trapped underground and there is little hope of escape.

The owner of the Daquanwan Coal Mine in Shanxi Province, who was responsible for the mine blast a week ago, was arrested in Zhangjiakou, a city in the neighboring Hebei Province, police said Tuesday.

An Jin was accused of fleeing the scene when the gas explosion occurred on November 17 while emergency rescuers braved the dense smoke billowing from the wells to search for victims.

Altogether 14 miners were still trapped underground and there is little hope of escape. An was found by police in a small restaurant in Shenjing Town in the countryside of Zhangjiakou.

The Daquanwan mine had been ordered to stop production for safety inspections prior to the accident. However, the mine owner turned a deaf ear to the order.

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