When There Is Trouble In China, Make Sure That You Point Your Finger At Someone Else....

When there is mining accident in China, the standard operating procedure for Communist Party officials is make sure to blame the accident on the mine owners for operating an illegal mine.

The mine was operating without a license and in violation of local government orders to shut down for inspections after a July flooding at another pit in Xingning, Xinhua said. The July accident claimed 16 lives.

Unfortunately, local officials were aware of the problems and didn't follow up with action. Probably because they were bribed by the mine owners.

Mine accidents resulting in death are a big problem all around China, where, officially, 6,000 miners lost their lives. The real figures are estimated to be significantly higher but are hidden from the public. I wrote a recent post, China's Mines Are Hellholes Of Death, where the mine operators were charged with dumping the bodies of dead miners in another town to lower the official death count from one of their accidents.

China's leaders do not have a grip on the problem and probably won't for the foreseeable future. Complicating the problem is that severe energy shortages in China are causing demand for coal to outstrip supply and China cannot afford to shut mines, even those that are operating illegally or without proper safety regimes in place. So, shutting mines and decreasing production of coal while instituting more comprehensive safety procedures isn't possible.

As a result of all the tragic losses, China has funded a safety campaign.

Massive nationwide workplace safety checks also ensued, and a huge fund totaling 3 billion yuan (US$361 million) was earmarked to improve safety facilities in coal mines.

That's a lot of money in China, but sadly, it doesn't seem to be having an impact. It is probable, that much of the money went to lining local officials pockets instead of actually being used for mine safety or inspection.