Five workers died and one was injured when a mine shaft collapsed during unauthorized mining activities in China’s Yunnan province early Sunday morning, according to state media reports.
The deadly incident took place at approximately 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning in Huize County, as reported by state news agency Xinhua, which cited local government officials. The type of mineral being extracted at the site was not disclosed in the report.
Emergency responders pulled six individuals from the collapsed site and transported them to a medical facility, but only one person survived the incident, Xinhua stated. The surviving worker remains in stable condition at the hospital.
Local officials have initiated an investigation to determine what caused the collapse. This latest tragedy follows the devastating May 22 gas explosion at a coal mining facility in northern Shanxi province that resulted in 82 fatalities, left two people unaccounted for, and injured 128 workers.
Government officials have promised a comprehensive investigation into the Shanxi incident after initial findings revealed unauthorized tunnel construction, absent tracking equipment, and fraudulent entrance barriers at the mining location.
