Ispan said illegal mining activities caused severe environmental damage, especially since most miners used mercury and dumped mining waste into rivers that emptied into the sea.

Environmental damage is one thing, but the root problem is actually they perform an ILLEGAL activity.

A total of 528 people were working in the mine at the time of the 2:30 a.m. explosion and 389 escaped after the blast, the latest to hit China's mining industry, the world's deadliest.

A disaster, eager to know the root cause.