https://www.scmp.com/rss/322936/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alice Yan Alice Yan A valiant official in China has been dubbed “Mud Buddha” after a photograph emerged of him covered in sludge while he was averting disaster by evacuating residents before a catastrophic landslide. From the evening of May 17 to the early morning of May 18, a downpour hit Shanghongyan Village in Maguan county, southwestern Yunnan province. At its height, the level of precipitation reached 256mm, the People’s Daily reported. Tian Ruliang, the village director, left home three times after 10pm on... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3355149/mud-buddha-china-official-covered-sludge-during-mudslide-while-helping-villagers-evacuate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3355149/mud-buddha-china-official-covered-sludge-during-mudslide-while-helping-villagers-evacuate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:00:07 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial China has largely reined in the human cost of industrial accidents during years of economic growth at breakneck pace. A shocking exception was last Friday’s gas explosion that killed at least 82 people at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province in central China, the country’s worst mining disaster in nearly two decades. President Xi Jinping’s call for a thorough investigation and accountability is necessary. He stressed that authorities must learn from the accident and intensify efforts to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3355270/shanxi-mine-disaster-must-fuel-efforts-eliminate-workplace-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3355270/shanxi-mine-disaster-must-fuel-efforts-eliminate-workplace-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 22:45:05 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese county official who cried about her village’s flood disaster has faced sarcastic comments for wearing a pair of gold earrings. The incident took an unexpected turn when a majority of online observers showed support for her. Shimen county in central China’s Hunan province was hit by heavy rains from May 17, which triggered severe floods and landslides. According to an official report on May 22, the disaster left six people dead, 10 missing and affected over 100,000 people. The party... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3355037/china-official-mocked-wearing-gold-earrings-while-crying-about-local-flood-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3355037/china-official-mocked-wearing-gold-earrings-while-crying-about-local-flood-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:07 +0000 Dannie Peng,Alcott Wei Dannie Peng,Alcott Wei Shanxi, China’s top coal-producing province, has attempted to rebrand from a polluting, high-risk mining hub into a cultural and tourist destination. However, the country’s deadliest mining accident in nearly two decades has cast a shadow over this image. On Friday, a devastating gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi killed at least 82 people. The disaster, which industry insiders said was a result of systemic safety failures, has drawn attention to the safety, governance and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354922/shanxi-mine-disaster-casts-shadow-over-provinces-shift-coal-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354922/shanxi-mine-disaster-casts-shadow-over-provinces-shift-coal-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 11:00:57 +0000 Alcott Wei,Dannie Peng,Phoebe Zhang Alcott Wei,Dannie Peng,Phoebe Zhang A gas explosion that killed at least 82 people in central China – the country’s worst mining disaster in more than a decade – was the result of systemic safety failures across multiple parts of the production chain, according to miners and industry insiders. The Friday blast at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province also left two people missing and 128 survivors in hospital, including two in critical condition. Miners interviewed by the South China Morning Post said several workers had not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354784/are-systemic-safety-failures-blame-chinas-deadly-mine-blast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354784/are-systemic-safety-failures-blame-chinas-deadly-mine-blast?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:32:20 +0000 Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang The owners of a Chinese coal mine where at least 82 people were killed have been accused of “serious violations of the law” by the local government. As search and rescue operations continued through the night, Chen Xiangyang, the deputy Communist Party secretary of Changzhi in Shanxi province, said that all four mines operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Group had been “immediately” ordered to suspend operations. “Preliminary assessment indicates serious legal violations by the coal mine enterprise... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354656/owners-chinese-mine-where-82-died-blast-accused-serious-violations-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3354656/owners-chinese-mine-where-82-died-blast-accused-serious-violations-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 04:02:55 +0000 Yuanyue Dang,Kandy Wong,Laura Zhou Yuanyue Dang,Kandy Wong,Laura Zhou At least 82 people have been killed in a blast at a coal mine in the central Chinese province of Shanxi, with reports earlier saying the death toll was higher. State news agency Xinhua reported that the gas explosion happened at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Qinyuan county, about 520km (320 miles) southwest of Beijing, at around 7.30pm on Friday after the mine issued a carbon monoxide alert. There were 247 workers underground at the time of the blast. As of Saturday afternoon, 128 survivors were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3354607/over-50-killed-chinese-coal-mine-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3354607/over-50-killed-chinese-coal-mine-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 04:58:32 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 12-year-old boy in China who was taken to work by one of his parents literally played with fire and left an office completely destroyed. The parent, whose gender is unknown, took the boy to an office in Ningbo in the eastern province of Zhejiang on April 30 in an effort to enhance their emotional bond, the Red Star News reported. It is not clear what kind of company this parent works for. While busy with work, the parent left the boy alone in the office. The youngster became bored and came up... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353277/china-parent-brings-son-12-work-where-he-plays-fire-destroying-entire-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3353277/china-parent-brings-son-12-work-where-he-plays-fire-destroying-entire-office?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 01:00:06 +0000 Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang Alcott Wei,Phoebe Zhang When a deadly explosion rocked a fireworks factory in central China this week, hundreds of such factories in the area were in peak production season for overseas orders, including for the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, industry insiders said. By noon on Friday, the death toll from the blast at Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company had reached 37, with one person still missing. Fifty-one people were still in hospital, with five of them in critical condition,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352805/was-chinas-fireworks-capital-rushing-its-july-4-orders-when-deadly-blast-hit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352805/was-chinas-fireworks-capital-rushing-its-july-4-orders-when-deadly-blast-hit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 01:00:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Stellar economic development can exact a price in industrial accidents, as China found in its very high-growth years. Since then, one of its less noticed achievements – alongside lifting hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty – is to have also made mines and factories safer for those who work in them. As a result, reports of deaths and injuries in major workplace accidents are no longer so commonplace. Sadly, they continue to happen – everywhere, including Hong Kong. Reminders can still be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352605/china-fireworks-factory-blast-sharpens-focus-workplace-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352605/china-fireworks-factory-blast-sharpens-focus-workplace-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Alcott Wei,William Zheng Alcott Wei,William Zheng A rescue worker injured in secondary blasts at the site of a deadly fireworks factory explosion in Hunan province has described a perilous and extremely difficult clean-up operation amid lingering gunpowder and flying sparks. The excavator operator, surnamed Xiao, said he volunteered to assist rescue efforts after Monday’s initial blast at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in the city of Liuyang. The explosion at around 4.40pm killed 26 people and injured 61, authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352584/gunpowder-sparks-volunteer-hurt-china-fireworks-blast-scene-tells-clean-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352584/gunpowder-sparks-volunteer-hurt-china-fireworks-blast-scene-tells-clean-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 07:12:32 +0000 William Zheng,Alcott Wei William Zheng,Alcott Wei The death toll from a fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan province rose to 26 on Tuesday as Beijing sent Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing to supervise the aftermath of the blast, according to Chinese state media. Zhang said the State Council, China’s cabinet, would establish an investigation team to look into the cause and help with criminal punishment, official news agency Xinhua reported. Zhang has pledged to punish firework producers that violate safety regulations, as well as regulators... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352425/china-fireworks-factory-explosion-kills-21-injures-more-60-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352425/china-fireworks-factory-explosion-kills-21-injures-more-60-people?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:12:46 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed into a hillside in 2022, killing all 132 people on board, had its fuel supply cut mid-flight, newly released investigative material shows, which bolsters the theory that the aircraft was intentionally brought down. While China still has yet to release a final report on the accident, findings released by the US National Transportation Safety Board this month show that levers controlling the flow of fuel to the jet’s engines were switched to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352413/fatal-2022-china-eastern-airlines-plane-crash-points-deliberate-fuel-cut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3352413/fatal-2022-china-eastern-airlines-plane-crash-points-deliberate-fuel-cut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 17:27:57 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat A strong El Nino expected later this year, together with the fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran, may threaten China’s agricultural security as the country’s traditional small-scale farming system lacks sufficient capacity to cope with extreme weather shocks, analysts have warned. The climate phenomenon also risked disrupting China’s supply of critical commodities, such as copper – essential for renewable energy systems – potentially forcing the energy-intensive economy to lean more heavily... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352028/fallow-farms-more-coal-burning-and-copper-shortages-how-el-nino-could-affect-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352028/fallow-farms-more-coal-burning-and-copper-shortages-how-el-nino-could-affect-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Southwestern China’s busiest airport was mopping up and struggling to resume operations on Sunday after a massive hailstorm grounded flights, damaged aircraft and stranded passengers. Hailstones, some as big as fists, battered Kunming Changshui International Airport in Kunming, Yunnan province, when the storm struck early on Saturday. The storm lashed runways, terminal roofs and some of the more than 110 aircraft at the facility on Saturday morning, with water seen seeping down into terminal... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3351469/southwestern-chinas-busiest-airport-disrupted-biggest-hailstorm-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3351469/southwestern-chinas-busiest-airport-disrupted-biggest-hailstorm-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:27:39 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong This year’s El Nino could increase the global demand for fossil fuels and worsen the price rises caused by the Iran crisis, Chinese government scientists have said. The climate phenomenon happens every two to seven years and causes an increase in average global temperatures. A strong El Nino can bring either droughts or torrential rains and flooding, both of which may force hydropower stations to reduce their output or shut down entirely – increasing the need for other power sources, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350622/china-warns-strong-el-nino-year-may-worsen-global-fossil-fuel-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350622/china-warns-strong-el-nino-year-may-worsen-global-fossil-fuel-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:15 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The long-range weather forecast for Hong Kong may seem like good news at first. The city’s weather experts have predicted four to seven typhoons between the months of June and October, or fewer than half the record-breaking 14 recorded last year. However, complacency could be dangerous. The Hong Kong Observatory also projects above normal temperatures under the influence of the warming El Nino weather phenomenon amid intensifying global climate challenges. Hong Kong Observatory director Chan... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347836/community-preparation-key-hong-kong-braces-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3347836/community-preparation-key-hong-kong-braces-extreme-weather?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Ling Xin Ling Xin China should accelerate development of a space-based solar power station, as the technology could one day do far more than beam clean energy to Earth, it might even help tame typhoons, according to a senior Chinese engineer. Duan Baoyan, the lead scientist behind the ambitious “Zhuri” project – which aims to hold a megawatt-class demonstration in the Earth’s orbit by 2030 – said microwave beams generated by such a station to transmit electricity back to Earth could potentially be directed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345240/change-typhoon-intensity-and-path-china-team-mulls-hitting-cyclones-space-beam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345240/change-typhoon-intensity-and-path-china-team-mulls-hitting-cyclones-space-beam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen Relatives, colleagues and residents gathered in a county in central China on the weekend to pay tribute to six firefighters who died after putting out a blaze during the Chinese New Year holidays. The firefighters were killed on Thursday afternoon when their truck ran off a cliff in Xinhua county, Hunan province, as they were returning from extinguishing a house fire in the hills. A seventh firefighter in the truck was injured and transferred to a hospital in the capital city of Changsha that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344251/tributes-paid-6-firefighters-killed-central-china-after-truck-veers-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3344251/tributes-paid-6-firefighters-killed-central-china-after-truck-veers-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela Twelve people were killed in an explosion at a fireworks shop in Hubei in central China on Wednesday, just days after eight people died in a similar incident in a nearby province. The accident happened just before 2.30pm on the second day of Lunar New Year in Zhengji township in the city of Xiangyang, state news agency Xinhua reported. The report added that the subsequent fire spread across the premises and was put out within an hour. An investigation into the cause is under way. The explosion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343931/12-killed-chinas-second-deadly-lunar-new-year-firework-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343931/12-killed-chinas-second-deadly-lunar-new-year-firework-explosion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:15:02 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The Ministry of Emergency Management has warned officials of the urgent need to prevent a repeat of the fireworks explosion that killed eight people in Jiangsu province, eastern China, on Sunday, the start of the country’s nine-day Lunar New Year holiday. The ministry convened an emergency meeting following the blast at a fireworks shop in Dongan village in Donghai county, which happened after a villager “improperly set off fireworks near the store”. According to state broadcaster CCTV, two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343684/8-dead-fireworks-shop-blast-start-chinas-lunar-new-year-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3343684/8-dead-fireworks-shop-blast-start-chinas-lunar-new-year-holiday?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:16:00 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Eight people have been confirmed dead in a blast at a biotechnology factory in central China early on Saturday. The explosion ripped through a workshop in Shanyin county, Shanxi province, operated by Jiapeng Biotechnology, a company involved in bio-feed, coal and related products, building materials, and paint manufacturing. The county government said the rescue operation had concluded and the company’s legal representative had been taken into police custody. Officials from Shuozhou, the city... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342811/8-dead-biotech-workshop-blast-central-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3342811/8-dead-biotech-workshop-blast-central-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:00:09 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang The sudden and catastrophic collapse at a major bridge construction site in China’s eastern Jiangsu province has left five workers dead, after the bodies of three missing people were recovered on Tuesday morning. At 5.46pm on Monday, a significant section of the under-construction Yuegang Bridge collapsed in Yancheng City’s Xiangshui County when the main span – measuring 95 metres (312 feet) – of the unfinished bridge suddenly gave way. Two people pulled from the wreckage with severe injuries... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342177/unfinished-bridge-collapses-eastern-china-leaving-2-dead-and-others-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3342177/unfinished-bridge-collapses-eastern-china-leaving-2-dead-and-others-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:08:54 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The death toll from an explosion at a rare earth steel plant in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region has risen to nine. The explosion occurred at 3pm on Sunday at the Baotou Steel Group’s rare earth steel plant in Baotou, according to the city government. As of Tuesday, the accident has injured 84 people, killed nine and left one person missing, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The Ministry of Emergency Management sent a working group led by Vice-Minister Song Yuanming to the scene... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340592/death-toll-rises-9-after-explosion-north-china-rare-earth-steel-plant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3340592/death-toll-rises-9-after-explosion-north-china-rare-earth-steel-plant?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:40:53 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang In the daytime the temperature in northern China often stays below freezing, but for many rural villagers the prohibitive cost of heating means that they have little choice but to endure the cold. “We dare not turn on the heating during the day,” one woman from Guan county in Hebei named Wang said. The 75-year-old’s home is around 70km (43 miles) from the centre of Beijing, but running the heating all day would cost between 60 and 90 yuan (US$8-13), an expense that could soar over the course of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339631/north-china-farmers-pay-heavy-price-winter-beijings-clean-air-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3339631/north-china-farmers-pay-heavy-price-winter-beijings-clean-air-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:00:16 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Chinese authorities have again stressed that hiking on the deadly Aotai Line in northwest China is illegal after three more people died on what Chinese media have described as the country’s “most dangerous hiking route”. “It is strictly forbidden to conduct unauthorised hiking traverses and similar activities [on the Aotai trail],” the General Administration of Sport’s mountaineering management centre said in a notice on Friday. “Recently, five individuals undertook an unauthorised crossing of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339504/strictly-forbidden-china-warns-hikers-aotai-line-after-3-die-infamous-trail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3339504/strictly-forbidden-china-warns-hikers-aotai-line-after-3-die-infamous-trail?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 11:45:03 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The conviction of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a high-profile Hong Kong trial has drawn sharp reactions in London, casting uncertainty over thawing Sino-British ties before Keir Starmer visits China. Although the outcome of Lai’s 156-day national security trial was widely expected, observers say it poses a significant test for the Labour government’s balancing act on China, which could narrow the space for engagement even if its immediate impact on bilateral relations is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A 13-year-old girl in China has been dubbed a “little hero” after risking her life to save a four-year-old boy who fell into a frozen lake. The incident unfolded on December 6, in a park in Tongxin county, Ningxia Hui autonomous region in northwestern China. The boy was playing on the surface of the frozen lake when he suddenly plunged into a hole, the Jimu News reported. As his anxious and terrified mother stood on the bank waiting for rescue crews to arrive, a young girl approached her and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335719/china-teen-girl-risks-life-save-boy-icy-lake-tells-dad-wet-clothes-are-watering-cart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335719/china-teen-girl-risks-life-save-boy-icy-lake-tells-dad-wet-clothes-are-watering-cart?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang At least 12 people have died in a fire at a residential building in southern China, the first major incident of its kind in the mainland since last month’s Hong Kong blaze. The fire broke out at around 9.20pm on Tuesday in Shantou in Guangdong province and was put out about 40 minutes later, according to state news agency Xinhua. The building was a four-storey reinforced concrete structure and about 150 square metres (1,600 sq ft) were affected by the fire, local authorities said. On Wednesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335868/12-killed-after-fire-hits-residential-building-southern-chinas-shantou-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335868/12-killed-after-fire-hits-residential-building-southern-chinas-shantou-city?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 07:00:09 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng The renowned Chinese-born architect Wang Fei has died at the age of 45 following an accident in London. The China Academy of Art, where he had worked as a visiting professor between 2009 and 2011, confirmed that Wang, who taught at Syracuse University in New York state, had died on Monday. Some friends and colleagues leaving tributes online suggested that Wang had been killed in a car accident. Li Lexian, an architectural designer, wrote on social media that Wang had died at the Royal London... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335794/chinese-born-architect-wang-fei-dies-suspected-car-crash-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335794/chinese-born-architect-wang-fei-dies-suspected-car-crash-london?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:49 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei A Chinese court has ordered Malaysia Airlines to pay over 2.9 million yuan (US$410,240) per victim to family members who filed suit over missing flight MH370, 11 years after it disappeared over the Indian Ocean, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday. The order, issued on Friday by the Chaoyang District People’s Court in Beijing, covers eight missing passengers. It is the first formal compensation ruling by a Chinese court on flight MH370. It includes death compensation, funeral expenses and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335653/chinese-court-orders-malaysia-airlines-pay-families-8-missing-mh370-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3335653/chinese-court-orders-malaysia-airlines-pay-families-8-missing-mh370-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:19:12 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A Chinese woman who was unexpectedly reunited with the man who rescued her from the rubble of an earthquake more than 10 years ago when she was 11 has tied the knot with him. The story was revealed on November 29, in Changsha, Hunan province, in southern China, during the 5th Annual Han-style Collective Wedding Ceremony, where 37 couples gathered to wed. The special couple, Liang Zhibin, who is 12 years older than his bride Liu Ximei, shared a love story that began over 15 years ago. In 2008,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3334902/china-woman-marries-rescuer-who-plucked-her-under-quake-rubble-when-she-was-11?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3334902/china-woman-marries-rescuer-who-plucked-her-under-quake-rubble-when-she-was-11?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A woman in central China, who borrowed one million yuan (US$140,000) to treat her daughter-in-law, has captured the hearts of millions on social media through her unwavering dedication. For the past five years, she has been providing round-the-clock care for her daughter-in-law, Yuanyuan, who fell into a vegetative state after being struck by a car on June 25, 2020. Yuanyuan suffered severe injuries to her head, face, arms, and pelvis, along with multiple bone fractures. Following a craniotomy,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335422/china-mum-cares-daughter-law-vegetative-state-borrows-us140000-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3335422/china-mum-cares-daughter-law-vegetative-state-borrows-us140000-treatment?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 10:00:15 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen A 7.5 billion yuan (US$1.06 billion) hydroelectric project in southeastern China is under investigation for alleged corner-cutting and legal violations, prompting concerns among experts about serious safety issues and a demand for answers from state media. The Yongan power station in Fujian province is a priority project under the national pumped-storage development goals of the five-year plan covering 2021 to 2025, aimed at safeguarding regional power stability and taking forward the green... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334780/scandal-hits-yongan-hydro-construction-project-china-media-demands-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334780/scandal-hits-yongan-hydro-construction-project-china-media-demands-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:57:10 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang A district in China’s northern city of Tianjin, the site of one of the country’s worst industrial disasters a decade ago, has launched a comprehensive fire hazard inspection campaign. The drive by the Binhai New Area district comes days after a catastrophic high-rise blaze in Hong Kong claimed more than 120 lives. District officials attending a fire safety meeting on Saturday were shown footage and a preliminary report from the blaze in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, which took firefighters more... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334667/blast-scarred-district-tianjin-takes-profound-lessons-deadly-hong-kong-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334667/blast-scarred-district-tianjin-takes-profound-lessons-deadly-hong-kong-blaze?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 09:03:25 +0000 Phoebe Zhang Phoebe Zhang A local government official in northeast China has been accused of covering up a fishing boat accident and preventing the vessel’s owner from calling the police for help, in an incident that led to the exposure of a series of corruption cases related to fishing industry safety. The accident took place on November 10. A boat registered in Yingkou, Liaoning province, capsized while crew members were fishing, causing 11 to fall into the water. Two were rescued and nine were reported missing,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334455/deadly-boat-accident-cover-reveals-corruption-chinas-fishing-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334455/deadly-boat-accident-cover-reveals-corruption-chinas-fishing-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:16 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng A test train crashed into railway workers in China’s southwestern Yunnan province early on Thursday morning, killing 11 people and injuring two, state media said. The test train No 55537, which was used to test seismic equipment, collided with construction workers entering the railway line on a curve at Luoyangzhen Station in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Railway and local government authorities immediately activated their emergency response to manage... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334310/11-killed-2-hurt-after-test-train-crashes-workers-southwestern-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3334310/11-killed-2-hurt-after-test-train-crashes-workers-southwestern-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 04:29:13 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Five Chinese nationals were killed and eight others injured in a car crash in Bali, according to China’s consulate on the Indonesian island on Friday. The accident happened in northern Bali’s Buleleng regency, the consulate said in a statement. The Indonesian driver sustained minor injuries, it added. The 13 Chinese citizens were travelling in a minibus to Bali’s northern side when the driver lost control of the vehicle, veering off the road into a garden and striking a tree, according to Ida... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332851/5-chinese-nationals-killed-8-others-injured-bali-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332851/5-chinese-nationals-killed-8-others-injured-bali-car-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:45:39 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen A section of a newly opened bridge collapsed in a mountainous area of Sichuan province in southwestern China on Tuesday, with no casualties reported. Videos circulating on social media showed part of the Shuangjiangkou Hongqi Bridge over a river in the city of Maerkang give way, unleashing a thick cloud of dust and debris. The bridge was completed in January this year but officials denied that the collapse was a result of poor construction. Authorities in Maerkang and the wider Aba Tibetan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332541/section-new-bridge-chinas-sichuan-province-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3332541/section-new-bridge-chinas-sichuan-province-collapses?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:08:45 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu An 18-year-old Chinese student has been hailed as “underpants man” after he rescued an elderly couple from a fire wearing only his briefs. Senior pupil, Zhu Ye, at the Tongliang No 2 Secondary School in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, discovered that his neighbour’s flat was on fire on the evening of October 16. With no time to put on clothes, he rushed to the flat in his underpants and found an elderly couple inside. It turned out that the old man was charging his electric... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3331443/china-underpants-man-gains-fame-rescuing-elderly-neighbours-fire-undies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3331443/china-underpants-man-gains-fame-rescuing-elderly-neighbours-fire-undies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 01:00:11 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik Shanghai is sinking while the world’s sea levels are rising fast – the fastest in 4,000 years – possibly threatening the Chinese financial hub and the global supply chain, scientists warn in a new study. China faces a double threat from rising seas, according to the multinational team, as many of its largest and most economically important cities are concentrated in delta regions – flat lands close to water that were ideal for urban development but remain extremely vulnerable to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3329369/double-whammy-shanghai-sinking-while-sea-level-rises-fast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3329369/double-whammy-shanghai-sinking-while-sea-level-rises-fast?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:49:34 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial October is peak season on the slopes of Mount Everest and surrounding regions. Relatively mild temperatures and clear skies are more likely. They attract climbers and tourists in their thousands, from the experienced to the less seasoned or even novice mountaineers. However, the weather can still be unpredictable. An exception to the norm can be devastating, even deadly. An example is a blizzard that suddenly struck Tibet and Qinghai during the “golden week” national holiday, surprising even the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3328345/everest-rescue-shows-danger-taking-risks-social-media-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3328345/everest-rescue-shows-danger-taking-risks-social-media-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 23:15:20 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang Hundreds of trekkers have reached safety after being stranded near the eastern slope of Mount Everest by heavy snowfalls, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. CCTV reported on Tuesday night that 580 trekkers and more than 300 local guides and yak porters had “safely reached” a relocation point in Qudang in the Tibet autonomous region, and arrangements were being made for them to return home. A further dozen hikers, helped by rescue personnel sent from Tingri county, had reached a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328202/800-more-trekkers-guides-and-porters-rescued-after-being-stranded-everest-blizzard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328202/800-more-trekkers-guides-and-porters-rescued-after-being-stranded-everest-blizzard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:31:50 +0000 William Zheng William Zheng One person has been reported dead in the wake of the sudden blizzard that engulfed Tibet and Qinghai over the weekend, as rescuers continue to evacuate hundreds of hikers from the eastern slopes of Mount Everest, according to official media. At noon on Monday, state broadcaster CCTV said that one hiker died from hypothermia and altitude sickness on Sunday in the Laohugou area of Qinghai province’s Haibei prefecture. As of Monday morning, 137 hikers had been safely evacuated from the area – known... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327987/1-dead-qinghai-hundreds-evacuated-chinas-rescue-everest-area-continues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327987/1-dead-qinghai-hundreds-evacuated-chinas-rescue-everest-area-continues?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 07:02:58 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma China set aside 200 million yuan (US$28 million) in recovery aid for Guangdong and Hainan provinces as Typhoon Matmo made landfall on Sunday afternoon. Earlier on Sunday, authorities in Guangdong relocated more than 150,000 residents and Hainan suspended rail services across the island province. By late Sunday afternoon, transport in Haikou, Hainan’s capital, was gradually resuming. The National Meteorological Centre said in the morning that Matmo had strengthened into a severe typhoon and was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327907/chinas-southern-provinces-brace-typhoon-matmo-more-150000-residents-relocate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327907/chinas-southern-provinces-brace-typhoon-matmo-more-150000-residents-relocate?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 05:48:49 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Super Typhoon Ragasa may have been the biggest storm of its kind in the world this year, but when it made landfall in mainland China last month, it left no fatalities in its wake. Rewind to 2018 when Mangkhut, the last super typhoon to hit Guangdong province, struck and at least four people were killed in southern China. Typhoon Hato also left nine dead in Guangdong in 2017, and Typhoon Fanapi caused 34 deaths in the coastal province in 2010. The contrast is even sharper when compared with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327644/how-china-was-ready-super-typhoon-ragasa-and-what-still-needs-be-done?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327644/how-china-was-ready-super-typhoon-ragasa-and-what-still-needs-be-done?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:00:29 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Chinese man who forgot to turn off the gas stove at home only remembered it while he was on a flight, but fortunately, the flight crew acted swiftly to avert a potential disaster. The passenger, identified as Wang, on a Spring Airlines flight from Shanghai to Singapore urgently sought assistance from the crew members mid-air, as reported by the Shanghai media outlet Xinmin Evening News recently. Wang recounted that before leaving home, he had forgotten to turn off the stove. By the time he... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326354/captain-alerts-ground-staff-avert-disaster-after-china-traveller-recalls-home-stove-left?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326354/captain-alerts-ground-staff-avert-disaster-after-china-traveller-recalls-home-stove-left?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 08:00:12 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei The southern Chinese city of Sanya suspended all flights and neighbouring Haikou closed its port as Hainan Island braced for the arrival of Typhoon Bualoi on Sunday. Bualoi, coming close on the heels of Super Typhoon Ragasa, was expected to skim the island and make landfall in Vietnam later in the day. By 10am, the typhoon’s centre was about 160km (99 miles) from Sanya and most of Hainan Island was within the typhoon’s seventh-level wind zone of 50-61km/h (31-38mph), according to the China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327132/chinas-hainan-island-braces-typhoon-sanya-suspends-flights-and-haikou-closes-port?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3327132/chinas-hainan-island-braces-typhoon-sanya-suspends-flights-and-haikou-closes-port?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 06:00:14 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang A woman from southeastern China was miraculously rescued after accidentally falling into an abandoned well, where she clung desperately to the side for 54 hours, battling exhaustion, relentless mosquitoes, and even bites from water snakes. The incident unfolded on September 13, when the 48-year-old woman, surnamed Qin, was out for a leisurely stroll in the woods of Quanzhou, Fujian province, before unexpectedly tumbling into the deep well. Her family quickly noticed her disappearance, and after... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326349/china-woman-falls-old-well-circled-snakes-clings-wall-54-hours-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3326349/china-woman-falls-old-well-circled-snakes-clings-wall-54-hours-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 01:00:12 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck China’s northwestern Gansu province on Saturday morning, injuring at least 11 people and prompting the urgent evacuation of nearly 8,000 residents as emergency crews responded to the disaster. Rescue teams said 17 houses had collapsed and close to 4,000 others had been damaged, according to state broadcaster CCTV. There are no reports of any fatalities. According to China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, central authorities have activated a level-four... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327072/gansu-province-hit-56-magnitude-earthquake-injuring-least-6-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327072/gansu-province-hit-56-magnitude-earthquake-injuring-least-6-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 04:08:13 +0000