Photo taken on May 23, 2006, shows rescue team members smoking underground during a break at the Xinjing Coal Mine in Zuoyun County, north China's Shanxi Province. (Xinhua Photo)

    ZUOYUN, Shanxi, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A key suspect responsible for the mine flooding that trapped 57 miners underground in Zuoyun County, North China's Shanxi Province was nabbed by police on Friday, local police source said.

    The suspect, Zhang Shengsheng, was an executive in charge of mining and work safety. He fled soon after the accident happened on May 18.

    He was nabbed in Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 3:40 a.m. Friday, together with his mistress, the source said.

    Police are still hunting down Wang Laowu, a labor contractor of the mine and the last suspect who is still hiding.

    Nine management staff, including the owner of the miner Li Fuyuan, had been detained before Zhang Shengsheng's capture by the police, said Bai Yulong, spokesman of the rescue headquarters.

    Three officials of Zhangjiachang Town, where the mine is located, including Party secretary Chang Rui and township head LiuYongxin, have been suspended from their posts.

    Local authorities in charge of work safety had tried to cover up the accident by reporting that only five miners were trapped.

    The management of the Xinjing Coal Mine rented taxis to transfer family members of the trapped miners to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi's close neighbor, to prevent them from speaking to the press.

    Zhang Shengsheng and Wang Laowu went into hiding after their attempt to cover up failed.

    The coal mine accident could have been avoided, according to the miners who managed to escape.

    Miners told Xinhua that the mine showed signs of flooding six days before the fatal accident. However, the management ordered them to keep on mining.

    "On May 18, a team leader had an argument with the management as he insisted mining should stop because it was too dangerous. He was slapped in the face by a manager," said a miner surnamed Yang.

    The angry team leader did not go to work underground and escaped from the accident, he added. Enditem

Trapped miners in north China coal mine flooding might rise to 57

    ZUOYUN, Shanxi, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Latest check results show that the number of trapped miners in a coal mine flooding in north China's Shanxi Province might rise to 57, the previous figure was 44, rescuers said Sunday afternoon.

    A check team of the rescue headquarters said the number of miners trapped underground is probably 57, after they have made an investigation among the miners' families. -->>>

Work safety official orders efforts to rescue miners trapped in Shanxi

    ZUOYUN, Shanxi, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Li Yizhong, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, calls on Sunday for quickening efforts to rescue the miners trapped in a flooded pit in north China's Shanxi Province.

    The accident occurred at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Xinjing Coal Mine in Zuoyun County, northern Shanxi, when a total of 145 miners were working underground. One hundred and one miners managed to escape, rescuers said. --->>