Qinyuan County, Shanxi Province — The death toll from a devastating gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has surged to at least 90, making it one of the deadliest mining disasters reported in the country in the past decade, according to Chinese state media.
The explosion occurred late Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, where 247 workers were on duty underground at the time of the blast, state news agency Xinhua reported. Initial reports indicated that eight miners had died while more than 200 workers had been safely evacuated to the surface. Authorities did not immediately explain the sharp increase in fatalities announced hours later.
Rescue teams worked throughout Saturday in a desperate effort to reach trapped miners and recover victims, while dozens of ambulances and emergency response vehicles remained stationed at the site. Footage aired by state broadcaster CCTV showed helmeted rescue personnel carrying stretchers amid intense search-and-recovery operations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to “spare no effort” in treating the injured and carrying out search-and-rescue efforts. He also called for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the explosion and demanded strict accountability for those responsible.
Xi emphasized that local governments and industrial departments across the country must draw lessons from the tragedy, remain vigilant about workplace safety, and take stronger measures to prevent catastrophic industrial accidents.
Premier Li Qiang echoed the president’s directives, stressing the need for timely and transparent public information releases as well as rigorous enforcement of safety regulations.
According to local emergency management officials in Qinyuan, rescue operations remain ongoing, while investigators are examining the cause of the blast. Preliminary reports suggested that dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide, a highly toxic and odorless gas, were detected inside the mine shortly before the explosion.
Some miners trapped underground were initially reported to be in critical condition, though officials have yet to provide detailed updates on survivors receiving treatment.
State media also reported that executives of the company operating the Liushenyu mine have been detained pending further investigation.
The disaster is among China’s deadliest mining accidents in recent years. In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53 people, while a 2009 gas explosion in Heilongjiang province claimed more than 100 lives.
Although China has significantly reduced coal mine fatalities since the early 2000s through tighter safety regulations, improved monitoring systems, and stricter enforcement measures, accidents continue to expose persistent safety challenges in the country’s massive mining sector.
The Liushenyu explosion has once again raised urgent questions about industrial oversight and safety compliance in one of the world’s largest coal-producing regions.
Reporting by Reuters and Agence France-Presse; additional information from Xinhua and CCTV.
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