Mine safety depends on strict supervision, not owners' morals

THIRTY-THREE PEOPLE were killed in an explosion in a coal mine in Jinshangou, in Southwest China, on Monday. An investigation into the accident found that the owner of the coal mine falsified materials submitted to supervisors and dug for coal in prohibited areas. China Youth Daily comments:

The coal mine is a legal one, and it had just passed a security inspection not long before. However, the supervision failed to prevent the tragedy from happening.

More information shows that the coal mine falsified the materials it submitted to the supervisors. According to reports, the coal mine managers submitted construction drawings as required, but they made the miners dig in areas where it is forbidden. The moment they decided to do so, the tragedy was preordained, because the forbidden areas cannot ensure safety.