Owners blamed for disaster.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

Substandard explosives and unsafe production practices were to blame for a coal mine disaster in north China that killed 27 workers and left another seven trapped underground. More than 3,700 died in coal mines last year making China, the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, home to the world's deadliest mining industry.

Despite government efforts to clean up the sector, owners often push production limits to maximise profits. "Investigations showed the mining company had exceeded its production quota, mined at unapproved working areas and was equipped with poor ventilation facilities," Zhao Tiechui, director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, said.

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