BEIJING, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Seven people were killed in a gold mine accident in China’s eastern Shandong province, and authorities were investigating, state-run CCTV reported, sending shares of the mine owner, Zhaojin Mining Industry, down 6% on Tuesday.
The accident occurred on Saturday when a cage fell down a mine shaft, CCTV reported late on Monday night.
The emergency management and public security departments were investigating the cause of the accident, and whether there had been an attempt to cover it up, the report added.
The mine is owned by leading gold producer Zhaojin Mining Industry, according to the Qichacha company registry. Shares of the company were down 6.01%, as of 0525 GMT. A person who answered Zhaojin’s main phone line told Reuters that the matter was under investigation and declined to answer further questions.
China’s emergency management ministry on Monday held a meeting on preventing accidents during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. It announced inspections of mines, chemical companies, and other hazardous operations.
Also on Saturday, an explosion at a biotech company in northern China killed eight people.
(Reporting by Colleen Howe; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
