Deaths of four people at pickling pit a work safety accident, report says

An investigation has concluded that the deaths of four people who were cleaning a pickled vegetable pit in Haicheng, Liaoning province, in June last year were the result of a work safety accident, according to a report released on Monday.

The report, issued by the Anshan Emergency Management Bureau, said three workers entered the pit in Dawang community, Xinghai subdistrict, on June 15, 2025, without taking safety precautions and were poisoned by hydrogen sulfide gas.

The owner of the pit, who attempted to rescue them without wearing proper protective equipment, was also overcome by the toxic gas and died, it said.

Investigators found that local authorities had failed to properly regulate pit-based pickling operations, citing weak law enforcement, inadequate oversight and poor coordination among government departments in addressing safety risks.

The report recommended that the Haicheng Administration for Market Regulation, the Xinghai Subdistrict Office, and the Haicheng Party committee and government submit written self-criticisms to higher-level authorities over shortcomings in supervision.