China mine managers jailed for negligence after blast kills 166

Beijing: Two China mine mangers were found guilty of negligence by a Chinese court on Wednesday after a gas explosion killed 166 miners two years ago, Xinhua news agency reported.

The blast happened at the Chenjiashan coal mine in Tongchuan in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.

Days earlier the pit had caught fire, but the men were ordered to return to work.

“After the fire was put out, (they) ordered the miners to risk their lives resuming production without sufficient safety measures,'' Xinhua said. “Their action was extremely outrageous.''

Mine manager Liu Shuangming received a five and a half year jail sentence, while his deputy and chief engineer, Wang Youjun, was jailed for five years, the news agency said.

Officials say small and privately run coal mines account for most of the casualties, adding that they often fall short of safety standards. However large state-owned mines report higher death tolls.