Chinese safety official investigated over Liushenyu Coal Mine blast that killed 82
Zhang Heping, deputy director of Shanxi provincial department of emergency management, is accused of ‘serious violations’
Zhang Heping, deputy director of the provincial department of emergency management, is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law”, according to a statement released by the provincial discipline inspection and supervisory commission late on Wednesday.
The disaster – China’s deadliest mining accident in over a decade – occurred on May 22 at a facility in Qinyuan county, under the jurisdiction of the city of Changzhi. The underground blast killed 82 miners, with another two missing and a further 128 injured.
The announcement about Zhang came on the same day the Ministry of Emergency Management launched a new, month-long round of central workplace safety inspections.
The State Council’s Work Safety Committee office has opened hotlines and online channels to gather tips from the public on major safety hazards, undeclared accidents and regulatory corruption. Some 24 central inspection teams have begun a nationwide wave of unannounced spot checks across all provinces.