Whenever loss of life or serious personal injury shall occur by reason of any explosion or of any accident whatsoever, in or about any mine, it shall be the duty of the person having charge of such mine to report the facts thereof without delay to the director or an inspector of the division of mine inspection, and if any person is killed thereby, to notify the coroner of the county also, or in his absence or inability to act, any associate circuit judge of said county; and the said director or inspector shall, if he deem it necessary from the facts reported, immediately go to the scene of said accident and make suggestions and render such assistance as he may deem necessary for the safety of the men; and the director or inspector shall investigate and ascertain the cause of such explosion or accident and make a report thereof, which he shall preserve with the other records of his office; and to enable him to make such investigation, he shall have the power to take depositions, compel the attendance of witnesses and administer oaths or affirmations to them; and the cost of such investigation shall be paid by the county commission of the county in which such accident shall have occurred, in the same manner as costs of coroners’ inquests are now paid. And a failure on the part of the person having charge of any mine in which any such accident may have occurred to give notice to the director or inspector or coroner, as provided for in this section, shall subject such person to a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than three hundred dollars, to be recovered of him in the name of the state of Missouri, before any associate circuit judge of such county wherein the mine is situate and the accident occurred.