The accident occurred Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine near the city of Changzhi. At the time of the gas explosion, 247 miners were underground. Chinese state media reported that gas was the cause of death. Dozens of injured were taken to hospitals.
President and party leader Xi Jinping called on Saturday for “all efforts” in treating the injured and demanded that “those responsible must be held accountable.” Authorities were urged to learn from the incident. At least 800 rescue workers were dispatched to the site.
The affected mine primarily produces coking coal and belongs to the state-owned Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Group. A senior company official has already been arrested. Months ago, the mining authority had flagged the mine, along with hundreds of others, for serious safety risks. According to the Beijing News, the mine operated in three shifts.
China generates more than 60 percent of its energy from coal and has recently increased production. Shanxi province produces nearly a third of China’s coal. Production pressure on operators is particularly high at the start of summer, when electricity demand for air conditioning rises. Additionally, the Iran war is straining the energy market with disrupted raw material supplies.
The government has tightened workplace safety laws in recent years and closed many smaller, poorly operated mines. Nevertheless, safety standards in many mines remain weak, according to reports. The Shanxi accident is the deadliest since 2009.
Source: www.faz.net
