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[Anchor] A major accident at a Chinese coal mine has left more than 80 people dead. Officials are calling it the worst mining disaster in China since 2009, and critics say it exposes the country’s superficial approach to safety oversight. Correspondent Bae Sam-jin in Beijing reports. [Reporter] Three days into the rescue effort after a gas explosion at a Shanxi coal mine, the death toll stands at 82, with more than 120 people injured. Authorities initially reported the toll as high as 90 but later revised it after removing duplicate counts. 「Cheon Sang-yang / Mayor of Changzhi, Shanxi Province」 At the time, 247 people were working underground. According to the press briefing, 82 people died and two remain missing. Authorities say a methane explosion in the coal seam triggered the accident, and standing water near the blast site impeded rescue operations. Local media reported lax management of worker rosters, tunnel maps and location cards, and said the mine had already been subject to six administrative penalties. This accident is the deadliest mining disaster in China since the 2009 Xinxing mine explosion in Heilongjiang, which killed 108 people. 「Rescuer at Shanxi mine (state-run CCTV)」 The tunnel was choked with coal dust; visibility was nearly zero and it was hard to breathe. I focused on my sense of direction and ran as fast as I could. China has boosted coal production and gas development to bolster energy security amid U.S.-China tensions and instability in the Middle East, yet large-scale mine accidents continue. The 2023 collapse at the Arshan mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53 people, and major fatal accidents later struck Heilongjiang and Henan provinces. Analysts say safety inspections have become perfunctory amid production pressure, cost-cutting and local governments’ reliance on mining revenue. 「China’s state-run CCTV」 President Xi Jinping urged all regions and departments to learn from the accident, always put safety first, and thoroughly investigate and rectify all risks and potential hazards. China ordered operations stopped at four Shanxi mines and announced sweeping investigations and strict penalties to hold local governments, regulators and companies accountable. This is Bae Sam-jin, Yonhap News TV, Beijing. [Video editing: Park Jin-hee] Yonhap News TV inquiries and tips: KakaoTalk/Line jebo23. Bae Sam-jin (baesj@yna.co.kr)
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