On July 23, 2025, six students from Northeastern University died after falling into a flotation tank when a metal grating gave way during a visit to Inner Mongolia Mining Co., a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned enterprise China National Gold Group. One accompanying teacher was injured. (Video screenshot)
[People News] Wang Lixia, the chairperson of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region government, was dismissed on August 22. Reports suggest that the trigger for her downfall was her concealment of a coal mine collapse in Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, which resulted in the deaths of 53 people in February 2023.
Insiders have disclosed that Wang Lixia's family members and at least ten subordinates of her lover have been arrested in succession. Additionally, her nephew has financial ties to the coal mine involved in the accident.
During the incident, 126 construction workers were buried alive. However, Wang instructed Chang Zhigang, the head of the Inner Mongolia Emergency Management Department, to cover up the incident, promising him the position of vice chairman of the autonomous region once the matter was resolved. Chang followed Wang's orders and reported only 35 deaths, but later, over a hundred family members of the deceased continuously petitioned in Beijing.
Eventually, Chang Zhigang was dismissed and implicated Wang Lixia. In a state of panic, Wang Lixia sought assistance from Zhao Leji, a member of the CCP's Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, to come to Inner Mongolia. However, Zhao Leji, citing an economic inspection of the region, stayed for two days before returning to Beijing, ultimately unable to protect her.
Inner Mongolia is a major mining province and is also prone to mining accidents. Wang Lixia's downfall has once again raised concerns about the frequent mining accidents in the CCP and the systemic corruption that underlies them.
From the time the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took control of mainland China until 2020, there have been numerous mining disasters. According to the CCP's own statistics, over 260,000 people have died in coal mining accidents, making it the highest number in the world and the country with the most frequent mining incidents. In the same year as the Alashan mining disaster, the CCP officially reported 12 accidents, among which the following resulted in more than 10 fatalities:
On August 21, an explosion occurred at the Xintai Coal Mine in Yanchuan County, Yan'an City, leading to 11 deaths. On September 24, an accident at the Shanjiao Shushu Coal Mine in Panguan Town, Panzhou City, resulted in 16 fatalities. On November 28, an incident at the Shuangyang Coal Mine in Heilongjiang caused 11 casualties. On December 20, an accident at the Kunyuan Coal Mine in the Hengshan District of Jixi City resulted in the deaths of 12 miners and injuries to 13 others.
The public believes that the CCP has consistently concealed the true number of accidents and fatalities, with the actual figures being significantly higher than those reported by the CCP. We will now hear from insiders and experts regarding the frequent mining accidents and the corruption issues associated with the mining industry.
Mr. Cai Chongguo, the head of the China Labour Communication Law in France, stated that after many coal mines have transitioned to private ownership or have been leased to private entities, the focus on maximising profits in the shortest time leads to a complete disregard for safety measures. This situation is exacerbated by a lack of administrative and systemic safety guarantees, insufficient supervision, inadequate safety production equipment, and the difficulty for external parties to conduct inspections. There are no regulatory measures in place to protect workers, leaving them unable to defend their own rights and interests. Simultaneously, local officials prioritise GDP growth and personal promotions, concentrating solely on production output while neglecting costs and safety. Corruption is rampant, with officials accepting bribes and still issuing production licenses to mines that do not meet safety standards.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) manages coal mines by demanding increased coal production for electricity generation while simultaneously ordering the closure of unqualified small mines. This dual approach has led to significant dissatisfaction among local officials, who are heavily reliant on coal mining and may even condone and encourage the operation of illegal small coal mines. When major accidents occur, the CCP holds officials accountable to quell public outrage. However, it is common for officials who are dismissed to be reassigned to other positions, effectively making it a lateral move rather than a true consequence. Consequently, the interests of officials and mine owners remain inextricably linked. Additionally, in some regions, officials from the safety production supervision bureau have themselves leased local mines.
Survivor of the Alashan mining disaster: I witnessed several deceased coworkers being carried out. Most of them were from other provinces, having come here through introductions from friends and relatives due to poverty at home and a lack of opportunities. There are still many who remain buried underground. Here, once mine owners lease the mining rights, they tend to drive away experienced and qualified miners, replacing them with inexperienced farmers from outside who lack connections. The mine leaders collude with the mine owners and do not treat us as human beings. We do not even receive the labour protection products that we are entitled to each month. When accidents occur, workers are often unsure of what to do, whom to approach, or how to seek help, and they are afraid to ask for assistance, often feeling that they are simply unlucky. Some workers were introduced by relatives and friends, who suggested that to save face, they would provide a small amount of compensation and leave it at that. Additionally, some of this compensation has been taken by relatives and friends. I have also heard that some relatives and friends intentionally do this, introducing friends to work as miners, and later, when they die in the mine, they go to fraudulently claim compensation. There is a complete lack of equality and justice in the mines.
Hunan labour rights advocate Lawyer Shi: Trade unions in China (the Communist Party of China) operate under the leadership of the Communist Party and cannot genuinely protect workers' rights. As shallow coal resources become increasingly depleted, miners are forced to work at greater depths, which further heightens safety risks. Many mines face issues with excessive gas levels, which are not addressed promptly.
Professor Chen Hong from the School of Management at China University of Mining and Technology has stated that it is reasonable to believe that approximately 97% of the causes of accidents are related to human factors. This includes the tragic incident on the morning of July 23, 2025, when six students from Northeast University of China fell into a flotation tank and lost their lives during a visit to a China Gold mine in Inner Mongolia. This tragedy was preventable.
In some mines, motivated by profit, mine owners or gangsters intentionally create mining disasters underground, killing for financial gain. For instance, in June 2016, the procuratorate in Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, prosecuted 74 suspects, including Ai Moumou and Wang Moumou. These individuals were involved in the intentional murder of 17 people across six provinces, including Shanxi and Shaanxi, and they fabricated mining accidents to defraud compensation funds. However, many such incidents remain unknown to the public.
The root cause of these disasters lies within the system of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It can be said that the malevolence of the CCP is darker than coal.
(Originally published in the People News) △
News magazine bootstrap themes!
I like this themes, fast loading and look profesional
Thank you Carlos!
You're welcome!
Please support me with give positive rating!
Yes Sure!