CHINA

Shanxi Mine Safety Chief Probed After Coal Blast Kills 82

Published: Jul. 14, 2026 2:46 a.m. GMT+8

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Hu Haijun.

China’s top mine-safety regulator in coal-rich Shanxi province has been placed under investigation for suspected corruption, making him the highest-ranking official ensnared in a widening probe following a catastrophic mine explosion that killed 82 people in May.

Hu Haijun, director and Communist Party chief of the Shanxi Bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration, is being investigated by central and provincial anti-graft authorities for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, according to an official announcement Monday evening.

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Hu Haijun, director of Shanxi's mine safety bureau, under corruption investigation after May mine blast killed 82.
Four Division Eight officials and three Qinyuan party chiefs also investigated over the disaster.
Changzhi Mayor Chen Xiangyang resigned; Gong Mengjian named acting mayor.

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Who’s Who

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What Happened When

January 2022：: Hu Haijun took charge of the newly restructured Shanxi bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration.

February 2026：: Qinyuan county officials and Supervision and Law Enforcement Division Eight held a joint symposium on coal-mine safety, months before the disaster.

May 22, 2026：: A gas explosion tore through the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, Shanxi, killing 82 people, leaving two missing, sending 128 to the hospital, and leaving 35 workers unharmed. This was China's deadliest coal-mine blast in more than a decade.

May 23, 2026：: Mayor Chen Xiangyang publicly bowed in apology at a press conference.

Late June 2026：: Authorities announced investigations into Division Eight Director Cui Ruijun and senior researchers Geng Qinglu, Hu Huisong, and Yu Zhangqing, explicitly linking all four to the May 22, 2026 disaster.

July 6, 2026：: The local legislature accepted the resignation of Mayor Chen Xiangyang; Gong Mengjian was named acting mayor.

Monday evening in 2026 (exact date unspecified)：: Hu Haijun, director and Communist Party chief of the Shanxi Bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration, was announced to be under investigation by central and provincial anti-graft authorities for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.

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