Gas Explosion at China Coal Mine Kills 82, Several Still Missing

A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China has claimed the lives of at least 82 people, marking one of the country’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years.

The blast occurred on Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province. At the time of the explosion, 247 workers were underground. Most had been brought to the surface by Saturday morning.

Rescue teams continued an intensive search for nine individuals who remained unaccounted for.

Footage from the scene showed helmeted rescue workers carrying stretchers, with ambulances standing by.

The country’s leader has called for all-out efforts to treat the injured and ordered thorough investigations into the incident. Authorities have been urged to draw lessons from the tragedy, maintain constant vigilance over workplace safety, and resolutely prevent the occurrence of major accidents.

A person responsible for the company operating the mine has been placed under legal control.

Initial reports had indicated four deaths and dozens trapped after carbon monoxide levels in the mine exceeded safe limits. Some of those trapped were in critical condition. The death toll rose sharply as the morning progressed.

Shanxi, one of China’s poorer provinces, serves as the nation’s coal-mining capital. While mine safety has improved over recent decades, accidents continue to occur in an industry often criticised for lax safety protocols and vague regulations.

In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in the Inner Mongolia region killed 53 people. In 2009, an explosion in Heilongjiang province claimed more than 100 lives.

China remains the world’s largest consumer of coal and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, despite rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity.