State Council supervising probe into fatal accident

The Office of the Work Safety Commission of China's State Council is supervising an investigation into an accident that killed 16 people at a coal mine in Panguan town, Panzhou city, Guizhou province, on Sunday morning, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The supervision of the investigation is aimed at ensuring the underlying causes are fully understood and holding those responsible accountable according to relevant laws and regulations.

An on-site command center was set up to coordinate rescue efforts, the city government said, adding that preliminary investigations suggest that the accident was caused by a fire on the transport conveyor belt. The temperature and gas levels in the affected area have since returned to normal.

The ministry sent a rescue team to the site to provide guidance and assistance. They will conduct search and rescue operations while preventing secondary disasters. The team will also provide support to affected families and carry out aftermath settlements.

The ministry said it will guide and urge other places to draw inferences from the case, and investigate and rectify potential safety risks to prevent similar accidents.

One-third of the coal production in Guizhou province comes out of Panzhou city, Guizhou Daily reported.