A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi, Shanxi (Made by ChatGPT)
[People News] A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi, Shanxi, has resulted in significant casualties and has drawn the attention of high-ranking officials in the Communist Party. Informed sources indicate that the mine has long been shielded by local officials, with more than ten individuals already detained. However, the exact number of people still underground remains unclear. Furthermore, authorities have formed a cleanup team of over 200 members to support the families of the victims while limiting contact with the media.
As reported by Xinhua News Agency, following the incident, Communist Party leader Xi Jinping issued directives, prompting State Councillor and Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing to lead relevant department heads to the accident site in Qinyuan County, Changzhi, Shanxi, on May 23. The State Council's accident investigation team subsequently intervened, asserting its commitment to conducting a thorough and rigorous investigation into the incident.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Zhang Guoqing and a six-member team from the State Council's accident investigation group arrived in Shanxi in the early hours of the 23rd to press local authorities for clarity on the cause of the accident.
More than ten detained, assets frozen
Informed sources from Shanxi government departments informed Radio Free Asia that the Shanxi Provincial Public Security Department has detained over ten individuals, including Ren Tiezhu, the actual controller of the Liushenyu coal mine, the mine manager, and the chief engineer. The source noted that Ren Tiezhu and all relevant bank accounts and equity under Shanxi Tongzhou Group have been frozen, and officials suspected of underreporting the number of individuals entering the mine after the explosion have also been taken for investigation.
He stated: 'Ren Tiezhu and all bank accounts and equity under Shanxi Tongzhou Group have been frozen by the court. More than ten individuals have been detained, and several officials who concealed the number of people from their superiors at the time of the explosion on the 22nd have also been arrested.'
Mr Peng, a legal expert specialising in mine safety regulation, informed reporters that if the claims made by informants are accurate, it suggests that this incident has escalated beyond a typical safety production accident and has entered a phase of both criminal and regulatory accountability. He stated, "The crucial point now is to determine who decides the so-called concealed number of individuals who were involved in the reporting, and whether local regulatory authorities were aware of the actual number of miners underground prior to the incident. If there has been a long-standing discrepancy between the actual number of miners and the registered figures, it indicates that the chaos on the day of the accident was not a temporary issue, but rather a sign of systemic failures in daily regulation.
The recent mine disaster in Shanxi has once again highlighted the dire situation faced by Chinese miners. The explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine of Tongzhou Group in Qinyuan County, Shanxi, on the 22nd, has brought to light the structural problems plaguing Chinese coal mines and their workers. To date, the actual number of miners underground and the reported casualty figures continue to raise scepticism among the public. Beyond issues like overproduction and illegal mining driven by profit motives that compromise safety, Chinese miners lack effective unions, and there is no independent media capable of exposing these issues, all of which are fundamental reasons for the ongoing occurrence of mine disasters.
The actual number of miners underground at the involved coal mine remains unclear.
According to public information, the National Mine Safety Supervision Bureau is set to release a list of coal mines with severe disaster risks in 2024, which includes the Liushenyu Coal Mine. This list pertains to mines facing high gas levels, coal and gas outbursts, complex or extremely complex hydrogeological conditions, and impact ground pressure, among other severe hazards. The relevant authorities are mandating that these coal mines implement significant disaster management measures, secure funding for these initiatives, and enhance risk prevention and control.
Reports from China News Network and other media indicate that the coal mine faced administrative penalties again in 2025 due to several safety issues. The Beijing News and The Paper referenced information from CCTV's Legal Online, which stated that video footage from underground operations revealed that the explosion occurred at 19:29 on May 22. The first group of rescue workers found hidden tunnels underground that were not marked on the blueprints, complicating rescue efforts and increasing the risk of secondary disasters. According to China Emergency Management, the explosion took place 300 meters underground. Rescue teams discovered two hidden tunnels, with three tunnels in total, potentially containing missing individuals, each approximately one kilometre long.
Mr Liang (Liang Xiansheng), a local source with knowledge of the situation, told reporters that this mining disaster cannot simply be categorised as a typical production safety accident. He remarked, "This incident truly highlights the terrifying nature of the system; it is a society that does not regard human life as valuable, treating the lives of ordinary people as mere resources, which is very alarming. Small-scale production accidents have never stopped occurring."
Mr Liang noted that the investigation team is struggling to ascertain the exact number of individuals working underground. He explained, "They had already concealed the number of miners beforehand and had planned how to obscure the death toll after the mining accident. It is currently unclear how many people have lost their lives. Some miners reported that the oxygen equipment they carried could only sustain oxygen levels for a few minutes."
The response team has restricted family members from speaking with reporters.
According to a report from the Shanxi Provincial Civil Affairs Department, the accident resulted in 82 fatalities, 2 individuals missing, and 128 others requiring medical examination or treatment. Among those affected, 33 miners experienced minor smoke inhalation and had slight abrasions; they have since been discharged and returned home with family members. The remaining 27 individuals continue to require hospitalisation.
Mr He from the Shanxi Provincial Civil Affairs Department informed reporters that the department has set up a response team to manage the aftermath of the incident, placing the families of the victims in various hotels. Each family is being supported by two to three staff members. He mentioned, 'The next step is to discuss compensation; reporters are not allowed to contact them.'
In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party has consistently emphasised the importance of safety in coal mining, yet serious accidents continue to happen. As a key coal-producing province, Shanxi's coal mining activities are crucial for local finances, energy supply, and corporate profits. Public sentiment indicates that this tragedy has raised questions about why a coal mine with a troubled history and known risks is still operational, even being included in local development initiatives. There are also fears that if the regulatory framework is not scrutinised, similar incidents could recur in other coal mines. (Adapted from Radio Free Asia)
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