DEC. 7th— According to the Chinese state media, 23 miners have been confirmed to be killed in an unfortunate coal mine accident at the Diaoshuidong coal mine in the city of Chongqing. The miners were trapped inside the coal mine. After a 30-hour rescue operation, only 1 miner survived. The workers were dismantling underground equipment at the mine, and Beijing has stated that this work was taking place unlawfully, without permission as Diaoshuidong mine has been closed since its license expired in August. The cause of the incident is still under investigation by The Work Safety Committee of the State Council.
Overall, mining safety has steadily increased over the years, but this accident follows a pattern of increasing fatalities in 2020. China, the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, in 2020 alone, has reported over 100 coal mining accidents.
Just last September, a conveyor belt explosion at another mine in Chongqing, 16 miners were killed due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Beijing has responded to these fatalities by shutting down mines throughout the country for 1 year, with the intention of demanding and implementing more rigorous safety inspections, by directly focusing on infrastructure, risk prevention management as well as emergency response and rescue operations and capabilities.
EXP Integrated Compliance Management Systems provide all of the necessary tools to implement comprehensive world-class QEHS and GRC programs.
