CHINA

Local Party Chief Investigated After Deadly Chinese Coal Mine Blast

Published: Jun. 3, 2026 4:43 p.m. GMT+8

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Zhao Yongjing

Eleven days after one of the deadliest coal mine disasters on the Chinese mainland in more than 10 years, the top Communist Party official in the county where the blast occurred has been placed under investigation.

Zhao Yongjin, chief of the Communist Party committee of Qinyuan county in Shanxi province, is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law,” a standard official euphemism for corruption, Shanxi’s anti-graft watchdog announced late Tuesday.

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Zhao Yongjin, Qinyuan party chief, investigated for corruption after gas explosion at Liushenyu mine killed 82 and injured 128.
Mine operated with chaotic safety, ignored gas alarms, used hidden workfaces, and lacked tracking cards for miners.
Zhao had championed safety, inspected the mine months earlier, and was a candidate for promotion before the disaster.

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Who’s Who

Shanxi Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Industry Co.: Shanxi Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Industry Co. operated the Liushenyu coal mine where a May 22 gas explosion killed 82, with 2 missing and 128 injured. The company had chaotic safety management, ignored gas alarms, used hidden workfaces, and maintained dual blueprints and monitoring systems to evade scrutiny and taxes.

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