Seven days after the Guangdong Daxing coalmine accident, there are still 123 miners stranded in the mine and their chance of survival is slim.
This tragedy has allowed people to see the sad situation where miners, who are compelled to risk their lives to provide for their families, are forced to suffer due to the mine owners' “sacrificing morality for profit.” Such frequent mine accidents result from the close relationships and collusion between the owners and government officials, leading to poor supervision.
According to the Ming Pao Daily, the words “energy shortage” have become a popular phrase this past year in Mainland China. Coal provides 74 percent China’s total energy output, and the price of coal has skyrocketed due to increased demands. But the supply is not sufficient to satisfy the demand, so many coal mines, eager to take advantage of a sellers’ market, mine recklessly, even at the risk of the miners' lives.
A Calamity Caused by Overproduction
