On Monday, authorities from Shandong provincial government had ordered the temporary shut down of 41 coal mines across the province for security checks after an accident at a mine killed three people.
In the report of state news agency Xinhua, the accident occured on Sunday at a coal mine operated by Shandong Energy, noted as China's second largest coal producer.
The total capacity of the 41 mines in terms of their coal production is unknown, but the shut down comes hand in hand with the incoming winter season when coal consumption is at its highest.
Shandong is currently working to reduce the demand for coal by forcing heavy industries to get rid of coal-fired broilers and closing coal-fired power plants.
Coal mines in China are well-known for not abiding by safety protocols and the latest accident puts to focus the lack of rules on how exploration can be done safely without sacrificing the output rate.
The accident on Sunday was caused by a rock burst and destroyed a part of a water drainage tunnel according to Xinhua. At least 21 workers were trapped in the mine since Monday.
