At least 82 miners have died following a devastating gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, in what has become one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in recent years.
The blast occurred on Friday evening at 7:29 p.m. local time at the Liushenyu coal mine located in Shanxi province, according to reports from state media outlet Xinhua.
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At the time of the incident, 247 workers were underground. Emergency teams later managed to evacuate most of them by Saturday morning, though many had already been affected by the explosion.
Authorities confirmed that at least 82 bodies have been recovered so far, while nine other workers are still missing as search-and-rescue operations continue.
State broadcaster CCTV released images showing rescue workers at the site, wearing helmets and moving stretchers amid ongoing emergency efforts, with ambulances stationed nearby.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an immediate and full-scale response, directing officials to prioritize medical treatment for survivors and carry out a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion. He also called for stricter enforcement of workplace safety standards to prevent similar tragedies.
Officials said a person linked to the mining company has been taken into custody as investigations begin.
Preliminary reports indicated that dangerously high carbon monoxide levels were detected in the mine prior to the blast, trapping several workers underground in life-threatening conditions.
Shanxi province, a key coal-producing region in China, has long been central to the country’s energy output. However, despite improvements in safety regulations over the years, mining disasters continue to occur due to enforcement challenges and hazardous working conditions.
China, the world’s largest coal consumer and top greenhouse gas emitter, has recorded several major mining accidents in recent years, including a 2023 collapse in Inner Mongolia that killed 53 people and a 2009 explosion in Heilongjiang that left over 100 dead.
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