Chinese safety official investigated over coal mine blast that killed 82
A deputy director in Shanxi province's emergency management department is under investigation for suspected violations linked to a May gas explosion. The blast at the Liushenyu Coal Mine killed 82 miners and injured 128 others.
South China Morning PostA deputy director of the Shanxi provincial department of emergency management has been placed under investigation over a coal mine gas explosion that killed 82 workers. Zhang Heping is suspected of "serious violations of discipline and law," according to a statement released by the provincial discipline inspection and supervisory commission on Wednesday.
The statement linked Zhang to the May 22 blast at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Qinyuan county.
Background on the disaster The explosion occurred at a facility operated by the Tongzhou Group under the jurisdiction of Changzhi city. Two miners remain missing and 128 others were injured in what officials have described as China's deadliest mining accident in over a decade.
Preliminary investigations found systemic safety failures, illegal mining practices, and chronic mismanagement at the site. The central government ordered a thorough probe and accountability measures after the incident.
New safety inspection round The Ministry of Emergency Management launched a month-long round of central workplace safety inspections on the same day the investigation into Zhang was announced. The State Council's Work Safety Committee office opened hotlines and online channels for public tips on safety hazards, undeclared accidents, and regulatory corruption.
Twenty-four central inspection teams have begun unannounced spot checks across all provinces.
