China Detains Coal Mine Boss After Gas Blast Kills 82 Workers

JAKARTA - The SAR team continued to carry out a massive rescue operation on Sunday, May 24 after a coal mine gas explosion in northern China killed at least 82 people.

Citing AFP, the explosion at the Liushenyu mine pit in Shanxi Province last Friday was the worst mining disaster in China in almost two decades, with 247 workers underground at the time of the incident.

Hundreds of rescue officers from the SAR Team headed to the location after this incident was reported. They have evacuated as many as 128 people to the hospital until Saturday night, May 23.

That night, police blocked the road to the mine, only authorized vehicles were allowed to enter.

According to the Xianhua report, rescue workers wearing helmets took turns descending into the mine shaft on Saturday night to search for the two missing workers, also sending robots to investigate the mine's conditions.

"As long as there is hope, we will do everything we can," said a SAR team officer.

Mining Violations

Chinese authorities launched an investigation into the Liushenyu mine explosion, the worst since 2009 when 108 people were killed in a mine explosion in Heilongjiang Province.

"Preliminary findings indicate that the Shanxi Tongzhou Group company, which operates the Liushenyu mine, is suspected of having committed 'serious illegal violations'," authorities said at a press conference broadcast by state-run media CCTV.

"Those who are proven to be responsible will be punished severely in accordance with laws and regulations," they added.

It is said that more than half of the workers who were victims of the explosion who were inside the mine hole were not registered.

Miners in China are usually required to undergo facial recognition checks or take a location tracking card before going to work at a mine site.

A senior official "responsible for" the mining company has been "placed under supervision in accordance with the law," the Xianhua report said.

China's State Council, the cabinet, ordered "crackdowns on illegal and illegal activities" across the country, including falsifying safety data, counting an unclear number of underground workers, and illegal contract practices.

A survivor who was injured, Wang Yong, told CCTV that he did not hear any sound but smelled sulfur when the explosion occurred.

"I didn't hear any sound at all, but then there was a cloud of smoke," the miner said.

"It smells like sulfur, like when people light firecrackers. When the smoke came down, I shouted for people to run," he continued.

He then recounted his memories by saying he saw people choking on smoke before finally fainting.

"After more than an hour, I realized myself, and then I woke up the person next to me" and came out," he told CCTV.

This incident was responded to by a number of world leaders by expressing condolences to the victims and their families.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she was "praying that as many people as possible can be saved."

Meanwhile, Indian President Narendra Modi expressed hope that "the bereaved families find strength in these tragic moments."

Followed by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te saying "ready to provide humanitarian assistance."

Shanxi, one of China's poorest provinces, is the country's coal mining industry hub.

Mine safety in China has improved in recent decades, but accidents still occur in an industry where safety protocols are often lax and regulations are unclear.

In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in northern Inner Mongolia killed 53 people.

China is the world's largest coal consumer and largest greenhouse gas emitter, though it is installing renewable energy capacity at a record pace.