China's State Council is to set up a special team to investigate the flooding of a coalmine in southern Guangdong Province that might have killed 123 miners.
Rescue headquarters said on Wednesday that Li Yizhong, director of the National Bureau of Production Safety Supervision and Administration, is putting the team together.
Rescue work at the Daxing Coalmine in Xingning City, is underway. At least 123 miners were trapped when the coalmine flooded at about 1:30 PM on Sunday. Rescuers said that it was unlikely that any of the trapped miners has survived.
By Wednesday evening, rescuers recovered the body of one of the trapped miners.
Rescuers have yet to find the exact point of entry of the flood, according to the headquarters.
By 9 PM Wednesday, more than 610 families of the victims had arrived at Huanghuai Township, where the mine is located. They are being put up at nine hotels in Xingning, said Zhao Ganlin, deputy secretary of the Xingning Municipal Committee of Communist Party of China.
Other miners who work with the privately-run Daxing Coalmine have returned to their homes. The provincial government of Guangdong ordered the suspension of all coalmines in the province for "thorough" safety examinations.
Chen Xiaodong, who is from Dongjiang Town of neighboring Jiangxi Province and has worked with Daxing for more than one year, stood at a crossroad of the township with his bags, looking a little lost.
"The mine is really closed this time," Chen said.
Local government announced on Wednesday that police seized 11 people, including the owner, manager, board chairman and chief technician of Daxing, all of who ran away after the accident.
Also on Wednesday, two officials were given warnings for not having performed their duties in the rescue work.
Shi Quan, who is on duty at the mine, and Zeng Xianji, an official with the Xingning City Coal Industry Bureau, were accused of not giving timely and accurate reports on the water level in the flooded shaft.
Rescue headquarters has warned that anyone found to be neglecting their rescue duties will be removed from their posts immediately.
Two mayors, who have been blamed for the incident have been suspended, local government announced on Tuesday.
He Zhengba, mayor of Meizhou, and Zeng Xianghai, mayor of Xingning, were accused of not properly supervising the coalmines under their jurisdiction, according to the provincial government.
(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2005)
