|
|
|
The disaster at RZC was cited as yet another example of what was wrong with
Chinese coal mines and raised some serious ethical questions.
It was reported that the RZC mine, which had a capacity of 210,000 tones of coal
per annum, was allegedly producing double that figure.
In order to increase production, RZC was allegedly mining at depths well beyond
the permitted "level two", in a blatant breach of regulations.
|
Moreover, on the day of the accident some 128 workers
were working in underground mines as against the maximum permissible
limit of 60 workers per shift.
Analysts felt that such breach of regulations was nothing new in Chinese
coal mines, particularly in the winter when the mines ramp up production
to meet the increased demand for coal.
In addition to accusations of endangering the lives of workers by
compromising on process safety due to its high emphasis on cost cutting,
RZC was heavily criticized for what unfolded after the disaster. It was
alleged that the management did not report the disaster to the
authorities for six hours in a bid to cover up the issue.
According to analysts, mine owners often did not report such accidents,
fearing a closure of the mine. The management at RZC tried to rescue the
workers trapped in the mine with the help of in-house and untrained
staff rather than call for professional help.
Critics contended that this led to many more workers being killed in the
accident. It was yet another example of Chinese mine owners putting the
lives of their workers in jeopardy in their pursuit of profits, they
said.
The Chinese government swung into action following the disaster. It
suspended RZC's operating license and froze its bank accounts. It also
took into custody 33 people including a manager of the mine. The owner
of the mine was reportedly absconding.
The government offered to pay ¥215,000 as compensation to the victims
and stated that it was taking measures to improve the working conditions
of coal mines by issuing a 'five point' instruction that sought to
enforce safety mechanisms in coal mines.
It also launched a safety campaign and assured the public that it would
shut down all coal mines that disregard safety rules.
However, some analysts were skeptical about any significant improvements
in the working conditions of the mine workers.
According to them, the government's efforts to improve safety conditions
were often hampered by the increasing demand for coal in the booming
Chinese economy.
Moreover, closing down of mines was not a feasible
solution since plant closures resulted in methane accumulation causing
huge explosions when these mines were reopened.
|
