Hu Haijun, the top mine safety official in China's major coal-producing Shanxi province, is under investigation for corruption following a gas explosion in May that killed 82 workers. Hu, who also serves as the Communist Party chief of his bureau, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced Monday.
The brief notice posted on the commission's website did not specify the nature of the alleged violations. Hu is the highest-ranking official implicated in an expanding probe into the province's coal mining sector, according to Chinese business publication Caixin.
Authorities initiated a comprehensive inspection of the region's mines after the deadly explosion, which was the deadliest mining accident in China in years. While mine safety has seen improvements, it remains a persistent issue in the country, as does industrial safety more broadly.
The mine where the explosion occurred is operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group. The National Mine Safety Administration had previously listed the mine as disaster-prone in 2024.
Coal continues to be a primary energy source for China, even as the country significantly expands its wind and solar power capacity. Shanxi province is a major contributor to China's coal production, employing approximately 800,000 mine workers and producing 1.3 billion tons of coal last year, nearly a third of the national total.