A key suspect responsible for the mine flooding that trapped 57
miners underground in Zuoyun County, north China's Shanxi Province was nabbed by police on
Friday, local police source said.
The suspect, Zhang Shengsheng, was an executive in charge of
mining and work safety. He fled soon after the accident happened on
May 18.
He was nabbed in Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos of North China's Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region at 3:40?AM Friday, together with
his mistress, the source said.
Police are still hunting down Wang Laowu, a labor contractor of
the mine and the last suspect who is still hiding.
Nine management staff, including the owner of the miner Li
Fuyuan, had been detained before Zhang Shengsheng's capture by the
police, said Bai Yulong, spokesman of the rescue headquarters.
Three officials of Zhangjiachang Town, where the mine is
located, including Party secretary Chang Rui and township head
LiuYongxin, have been suspended from their posts.
Local authorities in charge of work safety had tried to cover up
the accident by reporting that only five miners were trapped.
The management of the Xinjing Coal Mine rented taxis to transfer
family members of the trapped miners to the Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, Shanxi's close neighbor, to prevent them from
speaking to the press.
Zhang Shengsheng and Wang Laowu went into hiding after their
attempt to cover up failed.
The coal mine accident could have been avoided, according to the
miners who managed to escape.
Miners told Xinhua that the mine showed signs of flooding six
days before the fatal accident. However, the management ordered
them to keep on mining.
"On May 18, a team leader had an argument with the management as
he insisted mining should stop because it was too dangerous. He was
slapped in the face by a manager," said a miner surnamed Yang.
The angry team leader did not go to work underground and escaped
from the accident, he added.
(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2006)