45 held accountable for gold mine blast in China

Forty-five people, including 28 officials, have been held responsible for the gold mine blast in China’s Qixia city in which 10 people were killed and one went missing.

The accident was caused by the illegal storage and use of explosives and improper operation at the pithead, according to a report from the investigation team.

The report also noted that Shandong Wucailong Investment Co. Ltd., which owns the gold mine, and the city of Qixia had concealed and delayed the reporting of the accident, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday.

A total of 22 miners were trapped underground as a result of the mine blast on January 10 in Qixia, under the city of Yantai. Eleven were rescued after being trapped for two weeks, and one remained missing.

The accident caused direct economic losses of over 68 million yuan (about USD 10.5 million), the report said.