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Benxihu Colliery Explosion in China
(1) Background Benxihu colliery explosion is a mining disaster that occurred when a gas combined with a coal-dust exploded in a mining site. Ultimately, the aftermath was flames of fire that engulfed the mining shaft (Yang 2). The mining site is located in the Chinese Lioning area in China that was under the control of the Japanese at the time of the accident. The Benxihu colliery explosion occurred on the 26th of April, 1942 where more than 1300 lives were lost.
(2) The Person at Fault After the accident, the Japanese Mining Corporation was held responsible for the explosion due to the deplorable conditions at the mining site. The existing safety structures put in place by the administrators of the mining firm were considered to be weak. As a result, it was difficult for the workers to escape during the incident. Prior to the disaster, the boundary of the mining site was demarcated by an electric fence to prevent the workers (slaves) from escaping. As a result, it was difficult for the miners to escape for safety during the explosion. In addition, heavily armed Japanese cordons who had been deployed to man all entry points shunned away relatives and other people…show more content… The poor safety structures slowed down the accident’s response time. As a result, the Japanese administration could not come up with the most optimal solution to curtail the incident immediately. Perhaps, lack of stringent laws governing worker’s right to life and access to better healthcare slowed down the company’s response to the accident. If laws governing working conditions and design requirements of mining facilities were in place, then the rate at which the explosion spread within the enclosed mining site could have been