Two separate coal mine accidents kill 12 in China

An underground coal bunker owned by a firm in Zhongyang County, Shanxi province, collapsed right before midnight on Monday (Mar 11), killing five people with two missing, CCTV said on Tuesday.

Two separate coal mine accidents have killed 12 people in China over the last 24 hours, state broadcaster CCTV reported, the latest incidents to plague the industry after the government recently revised mining safety legislation.

An underground coal bunker owned by a firm in Zhongyang County, Shanxi province, collapsed right before midnight on Monday (Mar 11), killing five people with two missing, CCTV said on Tuesday.

The bunker is owned by Taoyuan Xinlong Coal Industry Co Ltd and intense rescue efforts are ongoing, the outlet reported.

The fatal accident in Shanxi comes after its mining safety regulator issued a notice last month telling mines to curb overproduction to prevent accidents. China's top producing coal mine region saw a surge in deaths in 2023.