China's Coal Mining Catastrophes: A Legacy of Profit Over Safety The latest gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi, China has claimed at least 90 lives, adding to the staggering toll of mining disasters that have ravaged the country over the past two decades.
Despite efforts by the Chinese government to reduce mining deaths, systemic problems remain entrenched.
Shanxi province, where the latest disaster occurred, is the epicenter of China's coal industry, accounting for nearly a third of the country's total coal output.