A gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s northern Shanxi province resulted in at least 82 fatalities, local officials announced on Saturday. The tragedy occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city on Friday evening, marking the deadliest mining accident in the country in recent years.
The Xinhua News Agency reported that more than 120 individuals were hospitalized and two remained missing. Initially, state broadcaster CCTV reported a death toll of 90, but officials later revised this number.
Authorities described the scene as “chaotic” in the aftermath of the explosion. While an investigation is ongoing, they noted “serious violations” of the law by the mine operator, though specifics were not provided.
Efforts to rescue those affected included the deployment of hundreds of rescuers and medical personnel. Reports indicate that many injuries were due to toxic gas exposure.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged an all-out rescue effort and demanded a “thorough investigation” with accountability enforced according to the law. Xinhua and the local emergency management bureau confirmed that those responsible for the mine were “placed under control.”
The State Council, China’s top administrative authority, assigned an investigation team for an exhaustive probe into the explosion. Wang Yong, a miner hospitalized from the incident, described smelling sulfur, likening it to firecrackers, and warned others to flee before losing consciousness due to the smoke.
Complications arose when the coal mine’s blueprints did not correspond with the actual layout, hindering rescue operations. Operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group, the mine had been on a national list of disaster-prone sites owing to its “high gas content.”
Shanxi province, larger than Greece and home to approximately 34 million people, is a major coal mining region, producing 1.3 billion tons of coal last year, nearly a third of China’s total output. Although the nation is transitioning to green energy, coal remains a critical energy source due to economic feasibility and availability.
Mining disasters are not uncommon. Measures over the years aimed to enhance safety, but instances like this illustrate ongoing challenges. Previous incidents include a 2023 collapse in Inner Mongolia that killed 53, and a 2009 explosion in Heilongjiang that claimed 108 lives.