At 13:16 on 22 February 2023, a serious collapse accident occurred in Xinjing Coal Industry Open pit Coal Mine (Chinese: 阿拉善左旗露天煤矿坍塌事故) in Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, causing 53 people to "lose contact or die". Six others were injured.[1][2]

2023 Inner Mongolia open-pit mine collapse
Alxa Left Banner mine collapse is located in China
Alxa Left Banner mine collapse
Alxa Left Banner mine collapse (China)
Date22 February 2023
Time13:16 (BJT, UTC+8)
LocationAlxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China
Coordinates37°58′11″N 105°39′23″E / 37.96972°N 105.65639°E / 37.96972; 105.65639
TypeMining accident
Deaths53
Non-fatal injuries6

Casualties

edit

Two people were initially confirmed dead with 53 regarded as missing.[3] In March, state operated China Central Television indirectly confirmed that all remaining trapped miners were "missing or dead".[4] In June, it indirectly confirmed that they were all dead, bringing the death toll to 53.[5]

Reactions

edit

The company's main shareholder, Chen Fenggan, claimed that he had no liability for what happened. He was later compelled under pressure from the media and outraged public to issue another statement.[6]

Investigations found that the accident was a result of illegal construction and production of the coal mine, reckless operation of the contracting construction company, and oversight by local party committees, governments, and departments.[7]

After the incident, the Ministry of Emergency Management called for comprehensive inspections and rectifications to be conducted to root out the major hidden safety hazards in key sectors and fields.[8]

References

edit
  1. ^ Nasser, Xiaofei Xu, Irene (22 February 2023). "Death toll rises in China mine collapse as rescue efforts continue". CNN. Retrieved 30 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "China coal mine death toll rises to six, 47 missing". Reuters. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  3. ^ "At least 2 dead, more than 50 missing in China mine collapse". AP News. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ "China confirms 53 'missing or dead' from February mine collapse". The Straits Times. 8 March 2023. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  5. ^ "China Confirms 53 Killed In February Mine Collapse". Barron's. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Nine dead, 44 still missing in mine collapse in China". World Socialist Web Site. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. ^ "China publicizes investigation report on deadly coal mine collapse -Xinhua". english.news.cn. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  8. ^ 郭凯. "China calls for immediate improvements to coal mine safety". global.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 6 March 2024.

See also

edit

YouTube CCTV News footage of event