Shanxi court sentences 41 people over fatal mine accidents

A total of 41 people were sentenced on Friday for their roles in irregularities that led to fatal accidents at iron mines in Shanxi province. They were found guilty of major responsibility for accidents, failing to report safety incidents and bribery.

The people's court in Yuanping, Shanxi province, handed down prison terms ranging from one to 16 years, taking into account each defendant's actions, the harm caused and their role in the crimes.

An investigation found that Pan Dangren and Wang Sudong invested in and established iron mines in Daixian county around 2003. During a national campaign to consolidate mineral resources in 2011, they transferred their mining rights to Daixian Jingcheng Mining Co, merging the mines into a single operation. Despite sharing one mining license, they continued to operate independently in their respective areas, according to a court statement.

Pan and Wang subcontracted excavation and mining work to multiple teams that lacked the necessary qualifications. Those teams, in turn, subcontracted the work to unqualified individuals.

The operations lacked work safety permits and adequate hazard prevention measures. They also failed to provide sufficient funding for safe production conditions and safety training, maintain complete emergency response plans, use properly licensed vehicles and verify drivers' qualifications. They also illegally resumed production during suspension periods, the court said.

As a result, 48 major accidents occurred between 2006 and 2022, causing 54 deaths, according to the court. After some of the incidents, several members of contracted teams, including Chen Kaisong and Chen Lipu, failed to report them as required, delaying rescue efforts.

Pan also bribed state functionaries with more than 8.62 million yuan ($1.29 million) to obtain improper benefits, while Wang paid bribes totaling more than 2.7 million yuan.

The court ruled that the 41 defendants, as key personnel in production and operations, had violated safety management regulations, resulting in major casualties and constituting the crime of major responsibility for accidents. Chen and six others were convicted of failing to report safety incidents. Pan and Wang were also found guilty of bribery.

Pan received a seven-year prison term for major responsibility for accidents and an additional 11 years for bribery, resulting in a combined sentence of 16 years.

During the trial, the court ensured that the defendants' litigation rights were fully protected. National lawmakers, political advisers and relatives of the defendants attended the sentencing.