BEIJING: At least 16 people were killed when a fire erupted at the Shanjiaoshu Coal Mine in southwest China at approximately 8:10 am (0010 GMT) on Sunday morning, local authorities said.
The fire was successfully extinguished, but the Panzhou City government, in a statement posted on its website, confirmed that “after preliminary verification, 16 people have no vital signs.”
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire originated from a conveyor belt within the mine, as indicated in the official notice issued by the local authorities.
Coal Mine Incidents in China
Located approximately 3,600 kilometers (2,250 miles) southwest of Beijing, the Panzhou City coal mine accident serves as a somber reminder of the persistent safety challenges faced by the mining industry. While significant improvements in safety measures have been made over the years, accidents still pose a serious threat to miners, often stemming from inadequate enforcement of safety protocols, particularly in less advanced mining operations.
In February of this year, a devastating coal mine collapse occurred in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region, burying dozens of individuals and vehicles under a massive debris field. Authorities refrained from disclosing the final death toll for several months, with the grim revelation emerging only in June that a total of 53 lives had been lost in the incident.
