Li Yizhong (C), director of the State Administration of Work Safety, gestures while listening to the introduction of rescuers at the Xinjing Coal Mine in Zuoyun County, north China's Shanxi Province, May 27, 2006. A flooding accident happened in the coal mine on May 18, which caused 56 miners dead. A panel authorized by China's State Council was set up at the Xinjing mine Saturday, which will conduct a thorough investigation of the accident. (Xinhua Photo)

    ZUOYUN, Shanxi,May 27 (Xinhua) -- Two county officials were removed from their posts after a coal mine flooding accident that has trapped 56 miners, local official sources said Saturday night.

    Zhang Mingsheng, head of Zuoyun County, was removed from his post as deputy secretary of the Zuoyun county committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

    Shi Lu, deputy head of Zuoyun County who is in charge of coal mining, was removed from his post as member of the county committee of CPC.

    On May 18, a coal mine flooding accident occurred at the Xinjiang mine of Zuoyun County, north China's Shanxi Province. Latest check results show that 56 miners are still trapped in the flooded pit.

    Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, said that poor management and excessive production should be blamed for the accident.

    The lax supervision of local government officials on the mine, is another key factor that led to the accident, according to Li.

    So far, 19 people, including the mine's owner and labor contractors, have been detained by police, said the rescue headquarters.

    Rescue workers are still pumping water from the flooded mine, though the hope for the survival of the 56 trapped miners is slim. Enditem

Rescue Process

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Accdident Causes Investigation

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Cause of Shanxi coal mine flooding likely found

    ZUOYUN, Shanxi, May 27 (Xinhua) -- An initial investigation shows the mine flooding in north China's Shanxi Province was caused by water pouring in from a worked-out section of a neighboring mine, said rescue headquarters Saturday.

    Preliminary analysis indicate that miners accidentally dug into the disused, water-filled section and flooded the shaft in which they were working, said Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety.

    It's estimated that 200,000 cubic meters of water filled the mine, and about 50,000 cubic meters have been pumped out, according to reports from headquarters on Saturday.  --->>>

Death Toll

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