3 life sentences in deadly mine blast
A Chinese court has sentenced three people to life in prison and handed jail terms to an additional 14 for their roles in a coal mine explosion that killed 105 miners late last year, New China News Agency reported.
Those sentenced to life included the manager in charge of production at the Xinyao Coal Mine and an investor in the mine in the northern province of Shanxi, where a gas blast tore through the shaft on Dec. 5.
At the time of the explosion, 128 miners were working, far more than the maximum 60 allowed. The company had increased output and expanded production to new coal beds without approval, said the news agency.
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