Regarding the Major Transportation Safety Accident at the Underground Mine of Yinman Mining Co., Ltd. in Xiwuzhumuqin Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on February 23rd
Release time:
2019-08-15
At around 8:20 a.m. on February 23, 2019, a serious transportation safety accident occurred underground at Yinman Mining Co., Ltd. in Xiwu Zhumengqi Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (hereinafter referred to as Yinman Company). As of now, the accident has resulted in 22 deaths and 28 injuries. According to preliminary analysis, the direct cause of the accident was that the contractor, Wenzhou Construction Group Mining Engineering Co., Ltd. Xiwu Zhumengqi Banner Branch (hereinafter referred to as Wenzhou Construction Branch), illegally and in violation of regulations used illegally modified vehicles to transport personnel underground, and these vehicles were severely overloaded. During operation, the brakes failed, causing the vehicle to lose control and triggering the accident. The vehicle involved in the incident was one that the state explicitly prohibits from being used underground.
Notice from the Office of the State Council Safety Committee on the Major Underground Transportation Accident at Yinman Mining Co., Ltd. in Xiwuzhumuqin Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on February 23
Anwei Office [2019] No. 3
Safety Production Committees of all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; relevant member units of the State Council’s Safety Committee:
At around 8:20 a.m. on February 23, 2019, a serious transportation safety accident occurred underground at Yinman Mining Co., Ltd. in Xiwu Zhumengqi Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (hereinafter referred to as Yinman Company). As of now, the accident has resulted in 22 deaths and 28 injuries. According to preliminary analysis, the direct cause of the accident was that the contractor, Wenzhou Construction Group Mining Engineering Co., Ltd. Xiwu Zhumengqi Banner Branch (hereinafter referred to as Wenzhou Construction Branch), illegally and unlawfully used vehicles that had been illegally modified to transport personnel underground, and these vehicles were severely overloaded. During operation, the brakes failed, causing the vehicle to lose control and triggering the accident. The vehicle involved in the incident was equipped with dry brakes—devices explicitly prohibited for use underground by national regulations—and had not obtained the safety certification mark for mining products intended for use in metal and non-metal mines.
The accident exposed the failure of Yinman Company to fulfill its primary responsibility for safe production, resulting in extremely chaotic safety management, severe underinvestment in safety measures, and a glaring lack of safety management knowledge and capabilities among relevant personnel. The company shifted responsibility for safe production onto others, adopting a “package-and-overlook” approach—taking on contracts but neglecting actual oversight—and allowing the construction contractor to persistently violate regulations by using illegally modified vehicles to transport personnel. Moreover, the company violated design specifications by repurposing the service ramp for passenger transport and engaged in fraudulent practices to evade reactivation inspections. The Wenzhou Construction Branch exhibited chaotic on-site management, with safety management systems reduced to mere formalities. It illegally used dry-brake vehicles to transport passengers, mixing people and goods and grossly overloading the vehicles. The safety assessment agency was irresponsible, issuing false acceptance evaluation reports. Meanwhile, local governments and relevant departments failed to adequately supervise and regulate enterprise safety. This accident occurred just before the "Two Sessions" nationwide, causing an extremely adverse social impact and leaving a deeply painful lesson.
Following the accident, the Party Central Committee and the State Council attached great importance to the incident. Premier Li Keqiang and other central leaders immediately issued important instructions, calling for all-out efforts to rescue the injured, properly handle the aftermath, promptly investigate the cause of the accident and hold those responsible strictly accountable, and further strengthen the identification, remediation of safety hazards, and safety supervision in key areas. The Ministry of Emergency Management immediately dispatched a working group to the scene to provide guidance and assist local authorities in emergency rescue operations and investigation and handling of the accident. To earnestly implement the spirit of the important instructions issued by Premier Li Keqiang and other central leaders, effectively prevent and firmly curb serious and particularly major production safety accidents, and create a safe and stable environment for the convening of the National Two Sessions, the following requirements are hereby put forward:
I. Investigate and handle the accident strictly in accordance with the law.
In accordance with relevant regulations, the State Council’s Work Safety Committee has decided to place this accident under special supervision and direct oversight by posting a notice on the case. It has also scheduled interviews with the chief officials of the Administrative Office of Xilingol League in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and its related departments, as well as with the principal leaders of the People’s Government of West Ujumqin Banner. The Emergency Management Department of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been instructed to temporarily suspend Silverman Company’s safety production license in accordance with the law and order the company to halt production for rectification. The Emergency Management Department of Zhejiang Province has been directed to temporarily suspend Wenzhou Construction Group Mining Engineering Co., Ltd.’s safety production license in accordance with the law and to hold interviews with the company’s relevant officials. The People’s Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is tasked with conducting a thorough investigation into this accident in strict compliance with the law and regulations, and with meting out serious disciplinary actions against the responsible entities and individuals according to law. After the investigation is completed, in accordance with applicable regulations, the enterprises and individuals found responsible for the accident will be included in the “blacklist” management system for joint punishment in the field of work safety, following due procedures.
II. Conduct comprehensive and in-depth special enforcement inspections
All regions must deeply learn from the lessons of this accident and immediately launch a special law enforcement inspection targeting inclined shaft transportation in underground metal and non-metal mines. They should conduct a comprehensive survey to identify, by region, enterprises that use vehicles equipped with dry brakes or modified vehicles for transporting personnel, fuels, and explosives—listing the names of these enterprises, the types and quantities of vehicles involved, and establishing detailed records. Relevant enterprises must be ordered to treat these issues as major accident hazards, develop specific rectification plans, set clear deadlines for rectification, and implement safety measures during the transition period to ensure that all necessary corrections are made. Any illegal and non-compliant activities—including transporting personnel and materials beyond the capacity of equipment, mixing passengers with cargo, and issuing false safety assessment reports—must be severely cracked down on according to law. For enterprises that refuse to make rectifications, law enforcement measures such as revocation of licenses and permits, suspension of production for rectification, closure and elimination, and strict accountability will be taken in accordance with laws and regulations, creating a high-pressure enforcement environment to prevent similar accidents from occurring again.
III. Strengthen safety supervision of construction units.
All regions should urge metal and non-metallic mine enterprises to strictly comply with the requirements of the "Interim Measures for Safety Management of Outsourced Projects in Non-Coal Mines," signing dedicated safety production management agreements with construction contractors. However, such agreements cannot replace the primary responsibility of the contracting enterprise for safety production. It is essential to clearly define the specific safety responsibilities of both mine enterprises and construction contractors, delineate their respective safety production management duties, and integrate the safety production work of construction contractors into the enterprise’s overall safety management system. Mine enterprises must rigorously fulfill their legal obligations for safety production, increase safety investments, improve working conditions, and enhance the level of safety production assurance. It is strictly prohibited to substitute management with outsourcing or to outsource without proper oversight, thereby shifting safety responsibilities onto construction contractors. Relevant authorities must strictly regulate and manage the qualifications of construction contractors, investigate and eliminate units that use outdated and obsolete equipment or lack the necessary qualifications. Special attention should be paid to cracking down on practices such as using fake qualifications, illegal subcontracting, and sub-subcontracting.
4. Effectively strengthen work to resume production and business operations.
Emergency management departments at all levels must attach great importance to the resumption of production and operations in metallic and non-metallic mines and strengthen safety supervision effectively. They should urge the principal persons in charge of mining enterprises to earnestly fulfill their responsibilities as the primary persons in charge of workplace safety, develop detailed work plans for resuming production and operations, conduct comprehensive and thorough safety inspections of all production systems, and provide safety training to employees in strict accordance with laws and regulations. For any hazards identified during inspections, clear responsibilities for rectification must be assigned and such hazards must be promptly eliminated. Resumption of production and operations should be treated as a key focus of law enforcement, with intensified spot checks and inspections of mining enterprises that have resumed operations. Any instances of falsification or illegal and non-compliant resumption of production and operations must be rigorously investigated and dealt with in accordance with laws and regulations.
V. Vigorously phase out outdated equipment and technologies, and promote advanced equipment and processes.
All regions must strictly adhere to the “Catalog of Equipment and Processes Prohibited for Use in Metal and Non-metallic Mines,” and absolutely prohibit mining enterprises from using equipment and processes that have been explicitly phased out. The elimination of prohibited equipment and processes must be integrated with licensing procedures such as safety facility design reviews and the issuance of safety permits, ensuring rigorous control at the source and strong enforcement. The management system for safety markings on mining products used in metal and non-metallic mines must be implemented compulsorily in accordance with the law, setting stringent entry barriers for safety equipment and facilities to prevent continued low-level construction and upgrades while phasing out outdated technologies. We must accelerate the promotion and application of new, suitable safety technologies and equipment in metal and non-metallic mines, thereby enhancing the capacity of mining enterprises to rely on advanced science and technology for safety assurance. A comprehensive information system for monitoring and early warning of safety risks must be established and improved, leveraging information technology to strengthen regulatory oversight.
With the upcoming National “Two Sessions,” all regions and relevant departments must make every effort to prevent and defuse major safety risks, resolutely curb serious and especially grave accidents, and strictly fulfill their duties and take proactive measures in accordance with the principles of “shared responsibility between Party and government, dual accountability for each post, comprehensive joint management, and accountability for negligence,” as well as the “Three Musts.” It is essential to rigorously control the resumption of production and work in industries such as coal mines, metal and non-metallic mines, construction, hazardous chemicals, oil and gas pipelines, and fireworks and firecrackers, while also proactively identifying and addressing major public safety risks involving fire protection, transportation, and densely populated venues. Furthermore, forest fire prevention and control must be strengthened, ensuring that fires are detected and extinguished at the earliest possible stage and kept small in scale. All regions must strictly implement the systems of leadership on-duty and 24-hour shifts at critical posts, refine emergency response plans and support mechanisms for accidents and disasters, and ensure that fire and work safety rescue teams at all levels are stationed in advance. In the event of major emergencies, these teams must respond promptly and effectively, thereby creating a stable and secure environment for the successful convening of the National “Two Sessions.”
Related News
Consultation Service Hotline
Address: No. 66, Duodao High-tech Road, High-tech Zone, Jingmen City, Hubei Province
Follow Us
Tiktok
Powered by www.300.cn
This website now supports bidirectional access via both IPv4 and IPv6.
WhatsApp：8617786228585
Corporate email：hbttzj@163.com
After-sales service：0724-4286522
Contact phone number：0724-4283026