Investigators dig deep in in mine probe

A team of investigators are thoroughly inspecting the coal mine where an explosion killed 104 miners in Heilongjiang Province. Members of the team went underground to get a first hand look at the damage and conditions in the mine.

Forty experts, assisted by members of the rescue team, spent four hours underground.

This is the first time the team, dispatched by the State Council, has been down to collect evidence in the mine's shafts.

Su Xiaobo, member of State Council Investigation Team,said, "We have checked three mining platforms, and the place where the gas leak happened. We'll analyze the materials we collected. It's too early to determine the exact cause of the accident."

Rescuer Li Shuangkuai said, "The experts checked the ore and dust down there and the damage caused by the blast. They also took some measurements."

The team will go underground several more times to gather evidence. They will also question the people involved in the mine's operations. The exact cause of the accident will be determined after an overall analysis.

An initial investigation indicates there was a build up of gas leak in one of the shafts. Safety officials say the structure of the mine is too complicated for its current ventilation system to work effectively.

Luo Lin,head of State Administration of Work Safety, said, "Apparently, this is an accident related to poor management. The cause of the accident must be uncovered. Related personnel will be severely punished according to law."

The mine's owners have begun compensation talks with victims' families. A mine spokesman says all miners are regular employees of the company with industrial injury insurance. He says the company will compensate each of the victim families according to their living conditions within a week.