40 individuals held accountable for 2025 Yunnan coal mine accident

The Yunnan Bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration has released an investigation report on a coal and gas outburst incident that occurred in Zhenxiong county of Zhaotong, Yunnan province, in 2025, holding 40 individuals accountable, according to CCTV news.

The accident struck the Daying coal mine on Dec 24, 2025, resulting in seven deaths and direct economic losses of 15.96 million yuan ($2.38 million).

The investigation report concluded that after the incident, the underground workers worked to rescue themselves and each other. The Daying coal mine initiated preliminary emergency response measures but failed to summon either the dedicated or part-time mine rescue teams quickly enough.

Additionally, the part-time mine rescue team took 57 minutes to assemble, and some of their rescue equipment was non-functional, underscoring problems like delayed emergency response and insufficient emergency preparedness.

According to the report, this accident was a production safety liability incident caused by the inadequate implementation of corporate responsibility and insufficient local oversight of coal mine safety. The report also blamed the failure to follow proper management protocols for outburst-prone coal seams after the occurrence of gas dynamic phenomena and the continuation of tunneling operations without eliminating the outburst risk.

The investigation team recommended accountability measures for 40 individuals. Five individuals, including the legal representative and director of the mine, have been referred to judicial authorities. Eleven individuals, including the mine's deputy safety director and deputy production director, have been penalized with measures such as suspension or revocation of their safety production and management certificates, along with administrative fines.

The Daying coal mine has been subjected to an administrative fine, with its safety production license temporarily suspended. The mine has been ordered to halt production for rectification and to undergo an upgrade for intelligent transformation.