chsdbacks Page 99
Page 99
Secretary Gong walked out of the command center and headed towards the center of the accident site.
He asked as he walked.
"So, what's the result? Have you found out anything?"
Qi Tongwei relayed all the information he had gathered to Secretary Gong without missing a single detail.
After listening, Secretary Gong nodded.
"That's about what I estimated."
"Boss, you knew all along?"
"I am unaware of these details, but the expert team has preliminarily determined the cause of the collapse."
"what reason?"
"Illegal construction coupled with a lack of safety management led to slope instability caused by high-intensity continuous coal mining. Furthermore, warning signs such as surface deformation and rockfalls were ignored, ultimately resulting in this tragic accident."
It was indeed a man-made disaster.
"Tongwei, do you know how many miners were buried in this accident?"
"do not know."
"It's not 93 people, it's 147 people."
Qi Tongwei's face no longer showed shock, but rather terror.
There is a difference of more than 50 people between 93 and 147.
Qiao Ning lied about the numbers.
"Tongwei! The cause has been found out. What do you think I should do next?"
"I will follow the boss's instructions in everything."
"You! Just tell me straight, what are you really thinking?"
“Since the boss told me to speak, then I will. I believe that the matter should be dealt with severely and that the buried miners must be given a satisfactory explanation.”
Secretary Gong nodded.
"It's good that you have this original aspiration, Tongwei. You must remember this. No matter how high a leadership position you become in the future, never forget this original aspiration."
As he spoke, Secretary Gong looked up at the sky. The blue sky, white clouds, and bright sunshine contrasted sharply with the tragic scene of the collapse.
he muttered.
"But you're right, we should give the people an explanation."
Chapter 154 Dawn Follows the Night
After continuous rescue efforts, 142 of the 147 buried miners were pulled out, while 5 others remain missing.
Of the 142 miners, 73 had already lost vital signs when they were dug out, 7 died on the way to the hospital, and another 19 died despite hospital treatment.
Of the remaining 43 people, half were seriously injured, and the other half had varying degrees of injury.
Among the firefighters, 18 were buried in the secondary collapse. All of them were rescued, but 7 of them tragically lost their lives in the accident.
Although the rescue operation has ended, the follow-up work on this accident is far from over.
Compensation and accountability are issues that urgently need to be addressed.
The Xujiayao coal mine collapse accident has been officially defined as the "August 8.16 Xujiayao Major Coal Mine Collapse Accident".
All the accident handling work needs to be handled by Secretary Gong, the leader of the Xujiayao Coal Mine Collapse Accident Handling Team.
The meeting room of the Ankang County Party Committee was temporarily requisitioned as the command center for the handling team.
The first meeting on the aftermath of the 8.16 Xujiayao coal mine collapse was held in this conference room.
Attendees included Gong Kaichen, Secretary of the Handong Provincial Party Committee; Zhou Kaihua, Standing Committee Member of the Handong Provincial Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor; Wen Qihang, Standing Committee Member of the Handong Provincial Party Committee and Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee; and Cao Jiadong, Vice Governor of Handong Province and Director of the Provincial Public Security Department.
Other personnel included Xu Qibao, Director of the Labor Department, and Dou Jinshan, Director of the Civil Affairs Department.
During the meeting, Secretary Gong was the first to speak, and the first thing he said was directed at Executive Vice Governor Zhou Kaihua and Director of the Labor Department Xu Qibao.
"Comrades, this coal mine collapse is extremely heartbreaking, the lessons are extremely painful, and the reflections it brings us are extremely profound."
Secretary Gong brought three "extremes," but don't think he was just making empty promises.
Within the system, especially for a high-ranking leader like Secretary Gong, in the face of such a major accident, he used three extremely strong words, which shows that his attitude was very severe.
"The Department of Labor is responsible for the supervision of mine safety throughout the province, but this incident has fully demonstrated that the labor department has not done enough in this regard."
"Therefore, in the coming period, we must prioritize mine safety across the province. Led by the Provincial Department of Labor and with the cooperation of municipal and county labor bureaus, we will conduct a comprehensive and multi-dimensional safety inspection of key units such as mines throughout the province."
"Don't feel that the work is too busy, and don't worry that it will cause economic stagnation. I don't think that a security inspection will cause economic turmoil in the whole province, but such inspections are crucial for the people."
"Director Xu, I hope that your Department of Labor can prepare a detailed report and submit it to the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government."
Director Xu nodded repeatedly and assured Secretary Gong.
"Secretary Gong, please rest assured, our Labor Department will be on high alert and come up with a perfect solution."
As the saying goes, there are three things a new official needs to do when taking office.
The newly appointed provincial party secretary, Secretary Gong, targeted the labor department as his first act of reprimand.
As for how the last two fires will be lit, nobody knows!
But in fact, Secretary Gong used the Xujia Kiln collapse accident to rectify mine safety throughout the province. His purpose was not only for the people, but also to send an important political signal.
Even a fool could guess that there are very few clean mines in the entire Handong Province.
Therefore, Secretary Gong also took this opportunity to demonstrate his prestige to the entire Handong Province.
Don't think that I, the newly appointed provincial party secretary, am easy to talk to. I can be lenient when necessary, but I can also be ruthless when necessary.
However, it's important to strike a balance between being soft and being ruthless.
So when Secretary Gong was talking to Xu Qibao just now, he also made a hint.
Security checks are necessary, but they should not cause economic instability; that is, they should not be expanded or carried out recklessly.
A balance between politics and economics is important.
However, Secretary Gong was well aware that under such circumstances, things could easily escalate.
That's why he put the Provincial Department of Labor in charge; if anything happens in the future, Xu Qibao will bear a heavy responsibility.
That's why Xu Qibao told Secretary Gong that the Labor Department would definitely come up with a perfect solution.
He was also worried that it would affect his future career.
After reprimanding Xu Qibao, Secretary Gong turned his attention to Dou Jinshan.
"The Civil Affairs Department needs to initiate the accident compensation process. How to define the standards and how much compensation should be paid are issues that the Civil Affairs Department needs to negotiate with Tianhua Coal Mine. We absolutely cannot let the people suffer losses. I will be keeping a close eye on this matter."
"Secretary Gong, the Civil Affairs Department has already contacted Tianhua Coal Mine. We have initially set a standard: each miner who died in the accident will be compensated 30 yuan. As for the injured miners, the compensation will be determined based on the injuries reported by the hospital."
Secretary Gong did not expect the Civil Affairs Department to take such strong measures.
It's 94! In most areas, the death compensation for mining accidents is only tens of thousands of yuan at most. 30 yuan in death compensation is no small amount.
But why did the Civil Affairs Department make this arrangement?
The reason is simple: Tianhua Coal Mine is responsible for this collapse accident, and the compensation for these deaths will be paid by Tianhua Coal Mine, so the Civil Affairs Department doesn't care.
"After the Civil Affairs Department and Tianhua Coal Mine reach an agreement, report your results to me."
After Dou Jinshan from the Department of Civil Affairs, Secretary Gong looked at Qiao Ning, the Party Secretary of Lincheng City.
At this moment, all the leaders and cadres at the meeting also focused their attention on Qiao Ning.
Whether it's the rumors about the chairman of Tianhua Coal Mine or the regulatory efforts of the Lincheng Municipal Party Committee and Government, it doesn't matter.
As the Party Secretary of Lincheng City, Qiao Ning cannot escape responsibility. The question is whether to continue digging deeper. If the investigation is further deepened, it is questionable whether Qiao Ning can extricate himself from the situation.
"Comrade Qiao Ning, do you think the standards set by the Department of Civil Affairs are feasible?"
The question that Secretary Gong asked was really interesting.
On the surface, he was asking about the standards set by the Civil Affairs Department, but in reality, Secretary Gong had already determined the relationship between Qiao Ning and the chairman of Tianhua Coal Mine.
In official circles, it's virtually impossible to hide such a relationship from one's superiors.
Besides the information obtained by Qi Tongwei, Secretary Gong also found out the truth through other channels.
So at this point, Qiao Ning was in big trouble.
After listening to Secretary Gong's words, he couldn't help but take out his handkerchief and wipe his forehead.
He seems a little nervous!
Chapter 155: Get to the bottom of it
Qiao Ning wiped the sweat from her forehead and then smiled repeatedly at Secretary Gong.
“Secretary Gong, I think this standard is very appropriate. Tianhua Coal Mine has indeed made a big mistake due to its poor supervision and illegal construction this time.”
"This time we must teach them a lesson they won't forget. We absolutely cannot be lenient and must give the people a satisfactory answer."
Secretary Gong gave Qiao Ning a deep look, then nodded without saying anything more.
"Over the next few days, I will visit the families of the deceased miners and also go to the hospital to see the injured miners and firefighters."
Several firefighters also lost their lives in this mining accident, but the compensation for these firefighters was borne by the state.
None of the leaders voiced any objection to Secretary Gong's arrangement.
Going against Secretary Gong at this time would be extremely unwise.
Over the next few days, Secretary Gong visited all the families of the deceased miners, and all the leaders of the accident handling team accompanied him.
Afterwards, he visited the Ankang County People's Hospital and the Lincheng City People's Hospital to see the injured miners and firefighters.
It wasn't until they returned to the Lincheng Municipal Party School Guesthouse, where only Qi Tongwei was by his side, that Secretary Gong finally let out a long sigh.
"Tongwei, do you have any cigarettes on you?"
"Yes, boss."
Qi Tongwei quickly pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Although he himself did not smoke, Secretary Gong was not a heavy smoker either.
However, Qi Tongwei received guidance from Sun Liancheng and learned that sometimes, especially when under a lot of pressure, Secretary Gong would smoke a cigarette to relieve his emotions.
Therefore, Qi Tongwei always carries a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.
After lighting the lamp for Secretary Gong, he leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and remained silent.
As for Qi Tongwei, he stood obediently to the side.
After a long while, Secretary Gong suddenly asked.
"Tongwei, how have you felt about following me these past few days?"
When Secretary Gong asked Qi Tongwei that question, Qi Tongwei instantly recalled the events of the past few days.
In the homes of the miners who perished, the elderly and the young wept bitterly.
Even in the hospital, many family members were constantly shedding tears.
30 is a lot of money, but each of the miners who died was the breadwinner of their family.
The deaths of 73 miners mean the complete devastation of 73 families.
How many years can 30 yuan last? Who can guarantee what we'll face in 10 or 20 years?
To be objective, in this day and age, people working in mines are risking their lives for money, and many even sacrifice their short lives to pave a future for their children.
But no matter what, those were precious human lives.
Everyone says they are here to establish a life for the people, but where is this life established?
After Qi Tongwei finished recalling, he honestly spoke to Secretary Gong.
"Boss, what I've seen and heard these past few days has been quite shocking, especially the families of many of the miners who died. They were actually very poor. I can't even imagine what their future will be like."
“30 yuan can indeed buy a family’s future for more than ten years, but Tongwei, you need to understand one thing: this money will decrease the more you spend it, and if there is inflation in the future, this money will depreciate. So these 70-plus families will not have a good life in the future.”
94 yuan in 30 was indeed a lot of money, but we can't forget an objective problem: for many ordinary people, they may not know what investment is.