China Exposes Five Cases of Work Safety Fraud After 90 Deaths
China’s State Council Safety Committee has published a formal circular detailing five typical cases of falsification in work safety that resulted in at least 90 people killed or missing across multiple industrial sectors. The notification, issued through the Ministry of Emergency Management on June 8, exposes systemic fraud spanning surveying, design, construction, supervision, testing, and inspection processes in transportation, railway, mining, and geological engineering projects, according to CCTV News.
Background and Context
The circular, formally designated as document number 安委办函〔2026〕81号 and drafted on June 3, comes amid China’s National Safety Production Month campaign, which carries the 2026 theme “Everyone talks safety, everyone knows emergency response — investigate and rectify risks and hazards.” The release also aligns with the broader Three-Year Action Plan for Addressing Root Causes and Tackling Key Issues in Work Safety (2024–2026), a government initiative aimed at fundamentally improving safety standards across Chinese industries.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, investigations into multiple recent accidents revealed that companies engaged in falsification at virtually every stage of project execution, from initial geological surveys through final acceptance inspections. The circular warns that such practices have become “important inducing factors” for disasters and expose a “weak safety bottom-line awareness and hollowing out of responsibility implementation.”
The Five Cases
Shaanxi Highway Bridge Collapse (July 2024)
The deadliest incident occurred on July 19, 2024, when a highway bridge collapsed in Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province, leaving 62 people dead or missing. Investigations found that Beijing Huahong Engineering Consulting Co., the supervision unit, agreed to unauthorized construction changes and falsified supervision logs. Meanwhile, the third-party testing unit — formerly Shaanxi Jiaojian Highway Engineering Testing Co. — discovered discrepancies in pile lengths but falsified data and ultrasonic graphs instead of correcting the issue. The on-site supervisor and testing project leader now face criminal charges.
Qinghai Railway Bridge Collapse (August 2025)
On August 22, 2025, a major collapse at the Jianzha Yellow River Bridge on the Xicheng Railway in Qinghai Province killed or left missing 16 people. China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group No. 7 (Bridge Bureau 7) knowingly purchased substandard bolts, and 18 of 21 labor subcontracting contracts involved illegal subcontracting. Investigators discovered that the company had created a complete set of fake compliant contracts specifically for inspection purposes. Quality acceptance inspections were perfunctory, with key indicators left unchecked before signatures were affixed. Bridge Bureau 7’s chief engineer, project manager, deputy chief engineer, and materials department head face criminal liability for major liability accident crimes.
Sichuan Hongqi Bridge Collapse (November 2025)
On November 11, 2025, the Hongqi Bridge collapsed in Barkam City, Sichuan’s Aba Prefecture. While no casualties occurred, the collapse caused direct economic losses of 27.72 million yuan (approximately US$3.8 million). PowerChina Chengdu Survey and Design Research Institute failed to conduct proper geological surveys of reservoir bank collapse risks and did not assess bridge bank slope stability. In the construction design phase, only 2 boreholes were drilled instead of the required minimum of 22, and personnel fabricated core sample data for the undrilled boreholes. Relevant personnel have been taken into criminal coercive measures.
Henan Railway Slope Collapse (December 2025)
On December 6, 2025, a slope collapse during construction of an underpass jacking project on the Longhai Railway in Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, killed 5 people. Survey subcontractor Henan Yulu Road and Bridge Survey and Design Co. falsified soil test results, producing a survey report with severely distorted geological data. This prevented objective geological evaluation and appropriate protective design for anomalous areas. Party discipline sanctions have been proposed for responsible personnel, and individuals suspected of major liability accident crimes have been referred for criminal prosecution.
Shandong Gold Mine Cage Drop (February 2026)
The most recent incident occurred on February 7, 2026, when a mine cage (elevator) dropped at the Canzhuang Gold Mine in Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province, killing 7 people. Shandong Hongde Inspection and Testing Technology Co. failed to conduct required non-destructive testing on the head rope of the 395 blind shaft. The rope measured 342 meters, but only 242 meters were tested — leaving 100 meters unexamined. Despite this, the authorized signatory approved a testing report concluding both ropes were “usable normally.” The fracture points of both ropes were located in the untested section. Hongde personnel have been criminally detained on suspicion of providing false certification documents, and the company’s safety testing qualification has been revoked.
Analysis and Implications
The five cases reveal that falsification in work safety is not confined to a single sector or region but is systemic across China’s construction, mining, and engineering industries. The circular explicitly identifies fraud at every stage — from initial survey and design through construction, supervision, testing, and final acceptance — suggesting deep-rooted problems in safety culture and regulatory enforcement.
The regulatory response signals an intensified crackdown. The circular calls for deepening hazard investigations, tightening administrative approvals, and building social oversight mechanisms. Notably, it emphasizes “criminal-administrative linkage,” indicating authorities are moving beyond administrative fines toward criminal prosecution as a deterrent. The revocation of Shandong Hongde’s testing qualification and the criminal detention of its personnel sends a particularly strong signal to the testing and inspection industry.
What’s Next
The circular demands that all regions and departments implement “four no’s and two directs” inspection methods — no notification, no greeting, no report, no陪同 (accompaniment); direct to grassroots, direct to site — to uncover falsification. It also calls for establishing internal reporting reward mechanisms and strengthening public reporting channels. As China’s National Safety Production Month continues through June, further disclosures and enforcement actions are expected, with authorities signaling that companies and individuals found engaging in safety falsification will face increasingly severe consequences.