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Mine Accidents

2001 July 17th. China, Guangxi region, Nandan county: flooding-a carelessly planned explosion opened a water-filled shaft; 81 miners died in the subsequent torrents; hundreds of people were able to escape. County and mining officials covered up the incident and insisted even two weeks later (on July 30) that there have been no deaths.
Investigators from the central government in Bejing found the bodies of 78 people left in the shaft, 3 other bodies were secretly cremated. The report of the federal investigation claimed mismanagement, illegal extraction, chaotic digging, explosions contrary to regulation, bribery and 'Mafia Operations'.