On December 24th, a coal mine gas outburst accident occurred in Zhuxiong County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, resulting in at least 4 deaths and 3 missing persons.
The government of Zhuxiong County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, reported on December 25th that around 20:10 on the 24th, a suspected coal and gas outburst accident occurred at the Daying Coal Mine in Wude Town, Zhuxiong County, causing 7 people to go missing. As of now, 4 missing persons have been rescued, all showing no signs of life, while the other 3 are still being searched for.
However, according to local internet users’ comments, “I heard there were about sixteen or seventeen people missing; my father didn’t go yesterday, and two of his colleagues are missing.” Some also said, “About sixteen or seventeen people managed to escape.”
Internet users have raised suspicions about possible underreporting by the authorities, stating, “The fewer the words, the bigger the incident.” “After being sent to the hospital for a few days, if they die in the hospital, it won’t be counted as part of the accident. Determining the level of the accident, whether it’s major or extremely serious, some people will have to bear criminal responsibility.” “I remember in Dengjia Village, Wushan County, eight people died in a coal mine accident, and the bodies were quietly taken away.”
Some internet users have expressed, “The coal mines in Zhuxiong are not safe; all of them have high gas outbursts, and there is chaos in underground management.” “With so many recent coal mine accidents, the country should strengthen supervision.”
Related videos have reportedly been blocked by the authorities, as besides official reports, users cannot see videos posted by netizens on mainland Chinese social media platforms.