Around 22 percent of coal mines in China’s coal hub of Shanxi Province were recently ordered to stop operating due to major safety issues. One China observer said that problems persist due to a lack of oversight and corruption among authorities, and safety rules are regarded as a mere formality.
From January to July, Shanxi produced about 675 million tons of raw coal, the highest among all provinces, accounting for about 30 percent of China’s total output in the same period. Suspending the coal mine operations in the province is a big deal as other industries would be affected.
Shanxi is an important part of China’s coal supply network. On Sept. 29, Shanxi signed coal contracts with 14 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, and agreed to supply coal from October to the end of December.
From January to August this year, seven accidents occurred in Shanxi coal mines. A total of 204 mines, or 22.4 percent of the province’s mines, were ordered by local authorities to stop operating in order to “rectify” the problems.
Safety Issues
At around 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 22, water penetrated the wall of the inclined shaft of an underground mine owned by Wu Guan Tun Coal in Datong city. The water was 1,300 feet away from the shaft wall. The inclined shaft of an underground mine is used to transport materials, equipment, and workers. The maximum water inflow was about 28,200 cubic feet per hour, leading to flooding of some mining areas. Around 134 people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported.
In September and October, the Shanxi Coal Mine Safety Supervision Administration carried out an inspection on all the coal mines in the province and focused on water damage.
General inspections were also carried out without prior notice. On July 27, six coal mines in Jinzhong city received unannounced visits by the CCP’s Safety Commission.
A public investigation video revealed problems of some coal mines in Shanxi.
During an inspection of Jingfu Coal Industry Company in Shouyang county, the video showed that a top section of the coal mining area had a layer separation problem that could lead to a major accident at any time. Nine out of 10 hydraulic support pressure gauges, which is used to monitor the overall pressure of the support system in the coal mining face, were broken. A coal mining face is where the mining activity takes place. About 90 percent of the underground fire extinguishers were not in working order.
In the mine, 32 hidden dangers and problems, such as electrical equipment failure, were found. Jingfu Company produces 900,000 tons of coal per year.