7 Dead, 21 Held After Illegal Mining Operation Floods Abandoned Mine In China

Seven people drowned while illegally mining inside a closed and abandoned mine in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality after heavy rainfall caused water levels inside the mine to rise suddenly, police said.

The deaths occurred in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, near the border with neighbouring Xiushan County. Police said they discovered the illegal mining operation after receiving a report on October 3 that several people had gone missing inside a closed, abandoned mine.

During the search operation, authorities found the bodies of seven people inside the mine and arrested 21 people allegedly involved in the illegal mining operation, according to a statement issued by the Youyang police on October 5. Police said a preliminary investigation indicated that the victims drowned after rainfall caused a sudden rise in water inside the mine. The investigation is continuing, and authorities said those responsible would face legal action.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua did not specify what mineral was being extracted. However, local media reported that the mine was suspected to be a long-abandoned mercury mine in the mountains around Longtan town in Youyang.

The incident followed intense rainfall in the area. According to local weather authorities, Youyang experienced thunderstorms and generally heavy to torrential rain between the evening of October 2 and the morning of October 3. Two rainfall stations in Longtan recorded torrential rain, while 41 stations across 21 townships recorded heavy rain. The maximum rainfall recorded was 113.5 millimetres in Longtan, local media reported.

Youyang has a long history of mercury mining, with cinnabar mining and mercury production dating back more than 1,000 years, according to local reports. Authorities have previously closed and consolidated mines that were considered damaging to resources or the environment, poorly located or unable to meet safety requirements. Mercury mines in the area have been closed.

Local authorities have also previously carried out joint efforts with neighbouring Xiushan to combat illegal mercury mining, with reports noting that some mine tunnels around the boundary between the two counties are interconnected.

The latest case comes months after a deadly rain-triggered landslide in neighbouring Pengshui county. The July disaster killed 51 people and left 10 others missing, highlighting the danger posed by extreme rainfall and flooding in the mountainous Chongqing region.