Hidden tunnels, fake doors uncovered in China mine tragedy probe

An initial investigation into China's deadliest mining disaster in over 15 years has revealed a disturbing picture of deception and negligence. The blast at the Liushenyu mine in Shanxi province late Friday killed 82 people, with two still missing and 128 hospitalized. State media reported Tuesday that authorities discovered unmarked tunnels, fake doors, and falsified drawings used to conceal mining operations from regulatory oversight.

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Unmarked tunnels, missing trackers and fake doors have been uncovered during an initial probe into the deadliest mining tragedy in China in over 15 years, with the government vowing to leave no stone unturned, state media reported on Tuesday.

The mine, operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group, maintained "yin-yang drawings" – two sets of plans. One set was for official inspections, while the other reflected the actual, often hidden, mining areas. This allowed the company to mine and sell untaxed coal, bypassing official production figures. The use of "fake doors," constructed from mortar-sprayed wire mesh and plastic sacks, was employed to blend concealed tunnels with the surrounding rock walls, fooling inspectors.

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The mine, controlled by Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group, maintained two separate sets of plans and surveillance systems. One set matched the actual operations while the other was used to deal with official inspections, with some mining areas hidden from regulatory oversight.

Adding to the chaos and hindering rescue efforts, the mine operator hired subcontracted labor for these hidden tunnels without providing them with essential identification-location trackers. Official logs indicated only 124 workers were underground when the blast occurred, but in reality, 247 were present. The absence of accurate location data for over half the workforce severely complicated the search for survivors and victims in the aftermath of the gas explosion.

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The Liushenyu mine "used wire mesh and woven plastic sacks sprayed with mortar, to make fake doors that looked very much like the rock wall of the mine tunnel."