A coal mine fire in Guizhou province, southwest China, resulted in the deaths of 16 people. The fire at Shanjiaoshu Coal Mine was caused by a conveyor belt catching fire, trapping the victims. Emergency personnel extinguished the blaze, but all 16 individuals were found without vital signs. Despite improvements in safety standards, China's mining industry continues to experience frequent accidents, with 245 deaths reported in 168 accidents last year.

From the mid 17th century to 1860, hundreds of thousands of Africans were kidnapped, enslaved, and transported to the New World in cargo ships. Approximately 388,000 arrived in the United States, but over 83,000 died during the Middle Passage. Enslaved families were often separated, and rape of slave women by their masters was common, with laws classifying any children born as slaves. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and 1850 was passed to return escaped slaves, leading to the capture and enslavement of many free blacks.