Seven people drowned after heavy rains flooded an illegal mining well in the municipality of Chongqing in southwestern China, official agency Xinhua reported on Monday.
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06/10/2026
by
Lusa
Sthe victims were found in a closed and abandoned mine near the border between Youyang and Xiushan County, both located in the southeast end of Chongqing, a municipality with about 32 million inhabitants.
During the search, initiated on Saturday after the authorities received an alert about the disappearance of several people on the scene, the police also arrested 21 individuals suspected of illegal mining.
Authorities added that the investigation is ongoing, according to Xinhua.
The incident occurred about four and a half months after a gas explosion in a mine in Shanxi's central province caused 82 deaths and more than 120 injuries in one of the most serious mining accidents in China in recent years.
Sinistrality in the Chinese mining sector, the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, has decreased significantly in recent decades.
However, accidents remain frequent in a sector that faces persistent problems related to oversight, subcontracting and compliance with safety standards.
According to official data, the Chinese mining sector recorded more than 3,000 deaths between 2018 and 2023, which represents a reduction of 53.6% compared to the previous five years.