**The Coal Safety Bureau reports on four major coal mine accidents that have occurred recently: some mining companies are suspected of concealing or delaying reporting such incidents

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China Net, August 6 – The Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau recently reported on four major coal mine accidents that have occurred recently. Four accidents occurred successively in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hebei and other places, resulting in a total of 21 deaths. Among them, the Longwo Coal Mine in Guizhou concealed an accident, which was later verified following reports from the public. **In its notice, the Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau called for maintaining a high-pressure stance on cracking down on illegal activities and rectifying violations in coal mine safety, thoroughly investigating the causes of relevant accidents, and holding those responsible accountable in accordance with the law. 1. The “7•28” severe gas explosion incident at Houxin Coal Industry Co., Ltd. in Wangcang County, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province On July 28, 2019, a gas explosion occurred at Houxin Coal Industry Co., Ltd. in Wangcang County, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province, resulting in 3 deaths and 2 injuries. The mine is a private enterprise with an approved production capacity of 90,000 tons per year; it is classified as a low-gas mine. Preliminary analysis indicates that the mine’s main ventilation system was impaired due to tunnel collapses, resulting in poor ventilation. Local ventilators were used in the roadway-type mining faces; operation in conditions of no wind or weak wind led to the accumulation of methane. Workers violated safety regulations by using uncontrolled blasting methods to handle large pieces of coal and gangue, and the sparks from these blasts ignited the methane accumulated above Shaft No. 2. The main problems exposed by the accident are as follows: First, on June 12, due to hazards such as the collapse of safety exits at the working face and extensive damage to the return airways, the mine was ordered by the Chuanbei Inspection Branch of the Sichuan Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau to suspend operations and have its relevant licenses temporarily seized; yet the mine continued to operate illegally under the pretext of carrying out repairs and improvements at the working face. Second, it employs the **strictly prohibited ‘tunnel mining’ method; ventilation management is chaotic, with a single local ventilator being used to supply air to 3 shafts simultaneously. Third, the accident-prone working face was not equipped with safety monitoring facilities, and no operating procedures or safety technical measures were established. Fourth, gas inspection and blasting management are chaotic; the \"three inspections per blast\" and \"three-person interlock blasting\" systems are not implemented. Personnel are not evacuated to safe locations during blasting, and those carrying out blasting operations do so without proper licenses. Fifth, the mine is suspected of concealing or delaying the reporting of the accident and carrying out rescue efforts recklessly. 2. The severe coal and gas outburst accident at the Longwo Coal Mine of Guizhou Zheshang Mining Group Co., Ltd. in Xiuxian County, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province on July 29, 2019: On July 29, 2019, a coal and gas outburst occurred at the Longwo Coal Mine of Guizhou Zheshang Mining Group Co., Ltd. in Liuguang Town, Xiuxian County, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, resulting in 4 deaths and 2 injuries. After the accident, the mine concealed it; later, it was verified following a tip-off from locals. The mine is a private enterprise with an approved production capacity of 150,000 tons per year. It is located in an area prone to coal and gas outbursts; however, it has been classified as a low-gas mine. Assessments have shown that there is no risk of coal and gas outbursts in areas above an elevation of +977.3 meters. Preliminary analysis indicates that the mine carried out coal mining operations at the East Downhill face in violation of the regulations regarding the assessment of outburst risks; no measures were taken to prevent outbursts, and the coal cutting by the shearer triggered coal and gas outbursts. The main problems exposed by the accident include: first, the coal mining face was arranged in violation of regulations, and there are suspicions of mining beyond approved depths and boundaries. Production was illegally organized by means such as not marking hidden areas on maps, temporarily sealing off construction sites, maintaining two separate records for personnel entry and exit from wells, and requiring workers in hidden areas not to wear personnel location tracking tags. Second, the work to prevent and control coal and gas outbursts was not carried out as required. Coal mining faces were arranged outside the identified outburst hazard zone; no gas parameters were measured, and no outburst prevention measures were taken. Third, no operating procedures were established for the accident site, no safety monitoring equipment was installed, and there were no air-pressure self-rescue facilities. Fourth, ventilation management is chaotic, the ventilation facilities are substandard, and the air volume at the Dongxia Mountain coal mining face is insufficient. Fifth, there was intentional concealment of the accident; after it occurred, the incident was not reported to the relevant authorities, and the bodies were removed ； When the **relevant authorities arrived at the mine following reports from the public to conduct an investigation, they falsified information about the accident scene, sealed off the affected area, and organized the involved personnel to collude in their statements. 3. The serious gas explosion at the Dashu Coal Mine of Guizhou Xinxinan Mining Co., Ltd. in Liangyan Town, Qixingguan District, Bijie City, Guizhou Province – On July 31, 2019, a gas explosion occurred at the Dashu Coal Mine of Guizhou Xinxinan Mining Co., Ltd. in Liangyan Town, Qixingguan District, Bijie City, Guizhou Province, resulting in 7 deaths and 1 injury. This mine is a private enterprise with an approved production capacity of 150,000 tons per year; it is a low-gas mine. In 2015, approval was granted for an expansion of its production capacity to 450,000 tons per year through merger and restructuring. Preliminary analysis indicates that at the mine’s 17301 coal mining face, water from the haulage roadway flooded the area, disrupting the overall negative-pressure ventilation system. Workers used local ventilators to supply air to the return airway, where they also carried out upward drivage operations. Methane accumulated in the roadway, and upon encountering an ignition source, it resulted in a methane explosion. The main problems exposed by the accident include: first, illegal operations. Continuous heavy rainfall increased the water inflow in the transportation roadway of mining face 17301 at this mine; the mine failed to take timely measures to prevent water-related hazards, which resulted in the flooding of the mining face and some of the associated roadways. Moreover, instead of making every effort to drain the water, the mine used local ventilators to supply air to the return airway and carried out tunneling work in that area, thereby engaging in illegal coal mining activities. Secondly, ventilation and gas management were inadequate; the safety monitoring system was not in operation, and workers did not carry portable methane detection alarms, proceeding with work despite failing to check for gas levels. Thirdly, there was reckless attempt at rescue: after the accident, the coal mine company failed to report it to the relevant authorities in a timely manner, and the mine manager and chief engineer took matters into their own hands to carry out the rescue efforts, which nearly led to secondary accidents. Fourth, since the mine received approval for merger and restructuring with a production capacity of 450,000 tons per year in 2015, it has been operating under the name of a mine with a production capacity of 150,000 tons per year, without actually carrying out any work related to merger and restructuring. Fifth, the parent company of the coal mine is a shell company used for nominal purposes; it does not actually hold control over the coal mine and fails to provide effective supervision and management of it. 4. The severe rockburst accident at Tangshan Mining Company of Hebei Kaoluan Group on August 2: On August 2, 2019, a rockburst accident occurred at Tangshan Mining Company of Hebei Kaoluan Group, resulting in 7 deaths. The approved production capacity of this mine is 4.2 million tons per year; it is a mine with high gas levels and rockburst risks. Preliminary analysis indicates that rockburst occurred in the F5010 connecting roadway in the coal pillar area of the mine’s ventilation shaft (at a mining depth of nearly 800 meters), resulting in the collapse of the roof of this roadway as well as two adjacent roadways. Severe bulging of the roadway floor and sides occurred, leading to deaths. The detailed cause of the accident is pending further investigation. **The Coal Mine Safety Inspection Bureau noted that the above four accidents once again demonstrate that some regions and enterprises fail to adhere to the principle of avoiding critical risks; driven by profit, they take dangerous actions. Enterprise managers engage in illegal and irregular production activities, which lead to accidents. These incidents also show that ground pressure, coal and gas outbursts, and water-related hazards remain major threats to coal mine safety. **The Coal Mine Safety Inspection Bureau requires that the awareness of red lines be upheld. Coal-producing regions, safety supervision and inspection agencies for coal mines, as well as coal mining enterprises must, with a strong sense of responsibility for the safety of miners’ lives, resolutely curb the recent trend of frequent coal mine accidents. A high-pressure approach to ensuring coal mine safety by cracking down on illegal activities must be maintained. The illegal and unlawful production and construction of small coal mines are the main cause of frequent accidents. Severe action must be taken against illegal and unlawful production and construction practices in coal mines, such as the use of \"five falsifications, five excesses, three concealments, and two failures,\" as well as serious violations including operations in conditions of no wind or weak wind, illegal blasting, use of outdated processes and equipment that have been banned, and unauthorized hot work. Enforcement efforts must be intensified: those facilities that need to cease operations must do so, those that require punishment must be punished, and those that need to be shut down must be closed down. Cases involving criminal activity must be handed over to judicial authorities in accordance with the law, so as to enhance the deterrent effect of enforcement. Areas that fail to effectively address such illegal activities should be subject to discussions, public announcements, and exposure. Attach great importance to the prevention and control of rockburst. Rock burst is one of the major risks in coal mine safety that has become increasingly prominent in recent years. In coal mines at risk of rockburst, it is necessary to overcome any sense of luck or complacency, strictly enforce the \"Rules for Preventing and Controlling Rockburst in Coal Mines,\" conduct thorough assessments of the rockburst risk, improve the systems for preventing rockburst, strengthen the teams responsible for this task, and optimize the mining and excavation plans. It is necessary to strictly implement the provisions of the \"Notice on Strengthening the Prevention and Control of rock burst in coal mines\", issued jointly by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the National Energy Administration, and the Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau. In those coal mines where measures for disaster prevention and control are in place, the number of workers allowed to work in the mine per shift should be reduced, and the production capacity should be appropriately lowered ； For mines where the measures taken to address rockburst issues are inadequate and which do not meet the requirements for safe production, operations must be suspended immediately for rectification; production can only be resumed once the rectifications are completed ； By the end of 2019, mines that are difficult to manage effectively under current technical conditions, those that have stopped operations without undergoing proper rectification, and those that still fail to meet safety standards even after such rectifications, must be phased out in accordance with the law. Effectively strengthen the prevention and control of coal and gas outbursts. Coal and gas outbursts remain a major risk to coal mine safety. Coal mining enterprises should carry out the assessment of mine gas levels in a scientific, standardized, and pragmatic manner ； If the assessment of the outburst risk is not carried out as required, such coal seams are directly classified as outburst-prone coal seams ； For coal seams and mines designated or recognized as prone to outbursts, the gas classification must not be downgraded under any circumstances ； Coal mine safety supervision and inspection authorities must crack down severely on fraud in gas grade assessment in accordance with the law. Coal mining enterprises must establish specialized agencies and teams for preventing coal and gas outbursts, and strictly implement the comprehensive \"four-in-one\" measures for outburst prevention at both the regional and local levels. For coal seams where regional outburst prevention measures are inadequate and the risk of outbursts has not been eliminated, the mines must be ordered to suspend operations for rectification, with tunneling and mining activities prohibited. Unswervingly push for the phasing out of outdated production capacity. Phasing out small coal mines is the fundamental solution to ensuring coal mine safety. All regions must strictly implement the provisions of documents such as the \"Opinions of the State Council on Reducing Excess Production Capacity in the Coal Industry to Achieve Sustainable Development,\" and step up efforts to phase out coal mines. In 2019, coal mines with a production capacity of 300,000 tons per year or less were basically phased out in 4 regions including Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia; those with a capacity of 150,000 tons per year or less were phased out in 11 regions including Hebei, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang; and coal mines with a capacity of 90,000 tons per year or less were phased out in other regions ； Coal mines that are ‘zombie enterprises’ with an annual production capacity of 300,000 tons or less and have been shut down for a long time ； Coal mines with severe disasters such as rockburst and coal and gas outburst, with a production capacity of less than 300,000 tons per year. For mines that are included in the capacity reduction and closure plan and will be shut down in the near future, operations must be stopped immediately; close supervision is required to prevent any last-minute attempts at continued operation. Strictly enforce the primary responsibilities of enterprises. Coal mining enterprises must continuously improve the standardized system for safe coal mining operations, which integrates risk classification and control, hazard identification and mitigation, and compliance with safety and quality standards. They should promote the use of new technologies, equipment, and processes, advance mechanization, automation, informatization, and intelligence, enhance the skills of workers, and implement measures to optimize systems, reduce operational levels, minimize the number of work sites, and cut down on the workforce, thereby raising the level of safety in coal mining. The actual controllers, investors, chairpersons, and managers of coal mining enterprises must fulfill their legal responsibilities regarding safe production. In cases of resource integration and mergers and acquisitions of mines, true integration, genuine mergers, and actual control must be achieved; any form of fake integration, illegal contracting or subcontracting, nominal affiliation, or unlawful use of \"contract workers\" in underground operations is strictly prohibited. Those who engage in fraud shall be held strictly accountable for their actions. Coal mine safety supervision and inspection agencies in various regions should promptly carry out the supervision and inspection of the primary responsibilities of coal mining enterprises, as mandated by the Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau, and ensure that these enterprises fulfill their primary responsibilities earnestly. Thoroughly carry out the ‘three defenses’ work during the rainy season. It is necessary to earnestly implement the requirements set out in the \"Notice from the **Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau on Further Strengthening Emergency Measures for Flood Control in Coal Mines,\" to fully recognize the extreme importance of ensuring safe coal mine operations during the flood season. Thorough inspections for water-related hazards and specialized law enforcement inspections should be carried out, with coal mining enterprises urged to strengthen their measures for preventing disasters related to rain and flooding. Coal mining enterprises must formulate and strictly implement a system of suspending production and evacuating personnel during heavy rains. Relevant departments must further strengthen emergency duty coverage; upon receiving warnings and alerts about heavy rainfall disasters, they should respond quickly and take prompt action. Thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident and hold those responsible accountable in accordance with the law. The relevant coal mine safety supervision agencies are requested to take the lead in forming an accident investigation team in accordance with laws and regulations, to thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident and the problems that have arisen, and to clarify the responsibilities of the relevant units and individuals. Any entity or individual involved in violations of laws, regulations, or discipline must be dealt with strictly; those suspected of committing crimes should be resolutely handed over to the judicial authorities for handling in accordance with the law. Serious accident warning education should be carried out, the handling results should be made public to the society in a timely manner, and illegal acts should be prominently exposed. Serious discussions should be held with the relevant local authorities and departments, as well as coal mining enterprises; the Guizhou Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau is tasked to have discussions with the people’s governments of Xiouwen County and Qixingguan District, the Sichuan Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau is to hold discussions with the people’s government of Wangcang County, and the Hebei Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau is to discuss matters with the Kailuan Group. Reports on these discussions shall be submitted to the Coal Mine Safety Supervision Bureau.