Judge closes Mexican mine case |
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Wed, 18 Apr 2007 18:15
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PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico (AP) - A judge closed the case against five mine managers and inspectors accused of negligent homicide in an explosion last year that killed 65 coal miners in northern Mexico.Coahuila state Judge Sergio Tamez said Tuesday that the mine operator, Industrial Minera Mexico, paid compensation of about $18,000 per victim, allowing the managers and inspectors to clear themselves in accordance with state law.State prosecutor Jorge Rios had alleged that managers and inspectors at the Pasta de Conchos mine did not fix unsafe conditions detected eight months before the blast.Temperatures in the mine reached as high as 1,110 degrees Fahrenheit following the explosion on Feb. 19, 2006. Hindered by tons of wood, rock and metal debris as well as toxic gas, workers have been able to recover only two bodies.Industrial Minera Mexico is owned by Grupo Mexico SA de CV, a railroad and mining giant with operations in Mexico, Peru, and the United States.Grupo Mexico has insisted the mine met all safety standards and denies that safety precautions were ignored.The company, which has promised to work as long as it takes to recover the remains, does not plan to reopen the mine.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Arrests ordered in Mexico mine blast 