Chongqing illegal mining case leaves 7 dead and 21 detained, police say
In short
Police in Chongqing say seven people were found dead in a sealed, abandoned mine shaft where illegal mining was under way, and 21 illegal miners have been detained. The Youyang county public security bureau said a preliminary investigation found the seven drowned when rainfall caused the shaft to flood suddenly. The case is under further investigation.
Why it matters
The deaths at a sealed site and the detention of 21 people indicate police are treating illegal extraction at the abandoned shaft as a criminal case, with the county bureau saying those responsible will be held accountable under the law. Coverage so far comes from a single police notice, carried by business outlets and briefly by the official Xinhua news agency, so the wider significance of the incident beyond the local investigation is not yet established.
Key facts
- Seven people were found dead in the case, according to a police notice. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Police detained 21 illegal miners. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A preliminary investigation found the seven drowned when rainfall caused the mine shaft to flood suddenly during illegal mining. [ 2 ]
- The public security bureau received a report from members of the public on Oct 3 that people had lost contact at the shaft. [ 2 ]
- The sealed, abandoned shaft is at the border of Youyang and Xiushan counties in Chongqing. [ 2 ]
- The Youyang public security bureau issued its notice on Oct 5, and said the case is under further investigation with those responsible to be held accountable under the law. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The identities of the seven dead and whether they were among those detained. The documents do not identify the dead or state their relationship to the 21 detained miners.
- The exact time on Oct 3 when police received the report, and when the flooding occurred. The notices give the date of the report but no time of day.
- The precise location of the shaft relative to the Youyang–Xiushan county line. Documents say only that it lies at the border of the two counties.
- Whether the 21 detained include organisers of the mining operation or only workers. Documents describe them only as illegal miners and say the case is still under investigation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reports, citing a police notice, that the Youyang illegal mining case in Chongqing killed seven people and that 21 illegal miners have been detained. [ 1 ]
- Jiemian reports the Youyang public security bureau's Oct 5 notice: on Oct 3 the bureau received a report that people had lost contact at a sealed abandoned mine shaft at the border of Youyang and Xiushan counties; 21 illegal miners were detained and seven bodies were found, with a preliminary finding of drowning after rain flooded the shaft. [ 2 ]
- Xinhua reports that an illegal mining case in Chongqing killed seven people. [ 3 ]