China launches investigation of county chief months after he inspected fatal coal mine

Zhao Yongjin, the Communist Party chief of Qinyuan county in China's central Shanxi province, is now under disciplinary review. The announcement came just 11 days after a devastating gas explosion at the local Liushenyu Coal Mine claimed the lives of 82 people, with two still missing.

The Shanxi provincial discipline inspection and supervisory commission, an anti-corruption body, stated on Tuesday night that Zhao is "suspected of serious violations of discipline and law." The mine blast, which occurred on May 22, represents China's deadliest mining accident in over a decade.

Authorities in Changzhi, the prefecture-level city where the mine is located, have accused the mine owners of "serious violations of the law." Initial investigations have uncovered significant safety fraud and widespread systemic failures throughout the production chain at the Liushenyu site. Miners and industry experts have previously pointed to inadequate safety equipment, illegal mining activities outside designated areas, and a history of security fines as contributing factors to the disaster.