Chinese safety official investigated over Liushenyu Coal Mine blast that killed 82

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 occurred on May 22 at a facility in Qinyuan county, under the jurisdiction of Changzhi city. The underground blast killed 82 miners, left two missing, and a further 128 injured miners were admitted to hospital, making it China’s deadliest mining accident in over a decade. The announcement was made 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 public tips 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.