In China’s coal country, party chief called to account after fatal safety failures

Disciplinary authorities in central China are investigating a county-level Communist Party chief following a coal mine gas blast that killed 82 people and left two missing.

Zhao Yongjin, party secretary of Qinyuan county in Changzhi, was “suspected of serious violations of discipline and law”, the Shanxi provincial discipline inspection and supervisory commission, an anti-corruption watchdog, said on Tuesday night.

The blast at the Liushenyu Coal Mine on May 22 was China’s deadliest mine accident in over a decade and Changzhi authorities later accused mine owners of “serious violations of the law”.

Preliminary investigation results have exposed severe safety problems at the site, with systemic failures across multiple parts of the production chain.

Miners and industry experts previously said the mine appeared to be poorly managed, with ill-equipped workers, illegal mining activities and several past security fines.