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A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi, Shanxi province, has resulted in the confirmed deaths of 90 people. Over 240 workers were on duty underground at the time of the explosion, with nearly 40 individuals reported still trapped as emergency services respond.
As of 4pm local time, nine individuals remain reported missing within the Liushenyu coal mine, prompting the deployment of a third batch of rescuers to aid in the search for survivors. The Liushenyu facility was identified in a 2024 report as one of over 1,000 coal mines with ‘severe safety hazards’.
President Xi Jinping has urged authorities to “spare no effort” in rescuing survivors and treating the injured, while Premier Li Qiang demands timely and accurate information about the incident. In response to the tragedy, executives from the Shanxi Tongzhou Group have been arrested, and six national emergency mine rescue teams have been deployed to assist in the ongoing rescue operations.
What remains unclear — The specific cause of the gas explosion is still under investigation.
At least 90 confirmed dead after gas explosion at Chinese coal mine
Some 90 people have been confirmed dead following a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China.
More than 240 workers were on duty underground at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi, Shanxi province when the explosion occurred at around 7.30pm on Friday.
President Xi Jinping called on authorities to ‘spare no effort’ in rescuing survivors and treating those injured by the blast.
The cause of the incident in Qinyuan county is currently under investigation, the state-owned Xinhua news agency reported.
More than 90 people have been confirmed dead following a gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s Shanxi province (Picture: Reuters)
As part of the probe, executives from the Shanxi Tongzhou Group responsible for managing the facility have been arrested.
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Six national emergency mine rescue teams were dispatched to the scene.
At least four workers had died due to high levels of carbon monoxide in the mines.
Nearly 40 people remained trapped underground as of 7am local time, local news sources reported.
How the explosion unfolded
At 7.35pm local time, a gas explosion broke out at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city, Shanxi province. A total of 247 workers were underground at the time.
By 9.43pm emergency services were alerted to dangerously high carbon monoxide levels in the facility.
Some 200 people had been taken to safety by 6am.
Initial reports put the death toll at eight, with the number of fatalities increased to more than 50 by midday today and then 90.
An investigation was since opened into the incident, and executives from Tongzhou Group, which manages the site, have been arrested.
As of 4pm local time, nine people have been reported still missing in the facility, as a third batch of rescuers descend the mine to search for survivors.
Source: Xinhua/CCTV.
A total of 123 people are currently recovering in hospital after being pulled from the wreckage, including four in a critical or serious condition.
Another nine people were still reported as missing as of 2pm.
According to Xinhua, the entrance to the mineshaft was muddy, while ropes used to pull carts had made deep ingresses in the ground.
Emergency services were pictured lowering water pipes into the mines.
One rescued miner in hospital recalled seeing ‘lots of smoke’ before he was carried out of the facility.
Coal mine explosions in China are often caused by flooding, although regulations introduced since the early 2000s have reduced the number of fatalities from incidents.
The latest blast is one of deadliest reported in recent years.
Rescuers prepare to descend the mine shaft following the blast (Picture: AP)
Coal accounts for more than half of China’s energy consumption. A quarter of the resource is mined in Shanxi province.
The Liushenyu facility was one of more than 1,000 coal mines listed in a report as having ‘severe safety hazards’ in 2024.
Premier Li Qiang called for information to be released in a ‘timely and accurate manner’.
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