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An investigation report on a major accident at China Gold Group Inner Mongolia Mining Co. that caused six deaths was released on Saturday, and the report recommends holding 42 individuals accountable.

The accident occurred on July 23, 2025, resulting in 6 fatalities and 1 injury. Following an investigation, it was determined to be a major production safety liability accident, Xinhua News Agency reported.

According to the report, as part of an internship program, 55 teachers and students from the School of Resources and Civil Engineering of Northeastern University entered the No.3 series flotation workshop of the mining company's plant for on-site learning. At 10:24 on July 23, the grille walkway plate above a flotation cell of the No.1 flotation machine, on which people were standing, detached, causing one teacher and six students to fall into the flotation cell. 

The direct cause was that the installed grille walkway plate in the accident area was smaller than the designed size, and the welding method of the added supporting channel steel did not meet the requirements for load-bearing steel structure welding. The welds, having long been in a damp environment, were severely corroded. 

Personnel deviated from the safe route and gathered on the operating platform, causing the crowd load to exceed the bearing capacity of the welds connecting the channel steel to the main beam. This led to the sudden detachment of the channel steel and grille walkway plate, according to the report.

The individuals fell into the flotation cell and drowned in the slurry. Factors such as poisoning, burns, and mechanical injury were ruled out.

The report said that the accident unit had lax and chaotic on-site safety management, loopholes in its production safety management system, superficial implementation of hidden hazard investigation and rectification, and non-standard management during the construction of the concentrator. 

The internship instructor had insufficient risk awareness, and the internship safety plan lacked specificity. Related entities involved in the accident were found to have illegally contracted and subcontracted projects, inadequate supervision and inspection, insufficient emphasis on work safety, and other problems. 

Relevant regulatory departments failed to effectively supervise the enterprise in fulfilling its primary responsibility for work safety, inadequately balanced safety and development, failed in oversight and supervision, and did not sufficiently fulfill their role as the competent department for the non-coal mining industry.

Following the accident, the government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region established a cross-departmental accident investigation team to conduct an upgraded investigation. The autonomous region's discipline inspection and supervision commission simultaneously initiated an accountability investigation.

The report recommends holding 42 individuals accountable. Among them, four individuals from the mining company suspected of criminal offenses are to be transferred to judicial authorities for criminal liability investigation; currently, public security authorities have taken criminal compulsory measures against them. The former director of the New Barag Right Banner emergency management bureau is to be expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office, with suspected criminal issues transferred to judicial authorities for review and prosecution. 

Additionally, administrative fines are to be imposed on the mining company. China Gold Group, Northeastern University, the New Barag Right Banner's government, the Hulun Buir emergency management bureau, and the Hulun Buir natural resources bureau are ordered to submit written self-criticisms to their respective superior departments.

The report emphasizes that enterprises must deeply learn from the accident, draw broader lessons, continuously strengthen their primary responsibility for work safety, and enhance production safety management. Construction and operation standards for metal and non-metal mine concentrator projects must be raised. 

Furthermore, relevant production and operation units and universities must deepen internship safety management, improve emergency plans, and take concrete measures to ensure internship safety, the report said

Global Times