On June 1st, a water seepage accident occurred at Shandong Energy’s Huafeng Coal Mine, trapping eight people. Huafeng Coal Mine has been fined multiple times for violating the Safety Production Law.
Late on June 1st, official Chinese media reported that the water seepage accident happened at Shandong Energy’s Huafeng Coal Mine in Ningyang County, Taian City, Shandong Province, leading to the entrapment of 8 individuals.
The official media did not disclose any further details. Netizens questioned, “Why is there so little information about such a significant event?”
According to a report by “Jumuxun News” on June 2nd, government officials from Huafeng Town, Ningyang County, stated that they are aware of the incident and are currently assisting from the periphery, not directly involved in the rescue operation.
Netizens inquired, “Is the 342 National Road towards Ciyao Huafeng open for the rescue team to pass through?” A person who seemed to be informed replied, “Large vehicles cannot pass, but special arrangements can be made in emergency situations.” “It seems like the road is still under construction.”
Another netizen expressed, “Huafeng Coal Mine has supported several generations, coal miners have a tough life, hoping for safety, this might be the end of Huafeng Coal Mine.” “Why are they not learning from past lessons? A few years ago, over 170 people died due to water seepage, and now this.” “Miners have a tough life, it’s a high-risk job with low pay and high danger levels.”
The incident mentioned with over 170 fatalities refers to the Shandong Huayuan Mine disaster. On August 17, 2007, a water influx at the Huayuan Coal Mine in Xintai, Shandong resulted in the death of 172 individuals. That same evening, the Minggong Coal Mine in Xintai also witnessed flooding, leading to the death of 9 people.
Public information reveals that the Huafeng Coal Mine, where this incident occurred, was expanded in 1958 and has a mining depth exceeding 1,000 meters, with an annual coal production of over a million tons and a workforce of over ten thousand employees. In 2011, Huafeng Coal Mine was designated as one of the first national-level green mine trial units and in 2014 passed the audit and public announcement process.
According to the Tianyancha APP, a mainland information platform, in March 2024, Huafeng Coal Mine was fined a total of 320,000 yuan by the Taian Energy Bureau for three administrative penalties for violating the Safety Production Law and not complying with the Coal Mine Safety Regulations.
The official information from the Shandong branch of the National Mine Safety Supervision Bureau reported that on March 22, 2022, at 11:26 AM, a roof accident occurred at the 11105 level of the mining face at Huafeng Coal Mine, owned by Xinwen Mining Group Co., Ltd., resulting in the death of one person and injury to another.