Coal Mine Explosion In China Kills 90 People, State Media Says

At least 90 people have been killed after a gas explosion tore through a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province, according to Chinese state media. The blast happened at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county while 247 workers were underground.

Officials said rescue teams managed to bring most miners to the surface, but several people remain missing and more than 100 workers have been hospitalized, many suffering from toxic gas inhalation. Carbon monoxide levels inside the mine reportedly exceeded safety limits.

The disaster is being described as China’s deadliest mining accident in more than 16 years. President Xi Jinping ordered “all-out” rescue operations and demanded a full investigation into the cause of the explosion. Authorities have reportedly detained executives connected to the mine operator.

The Liushenyu mine, operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Group, had previously appeared on official lists of high-risk mines because of elevated gas levels. The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of industrial safety standards in China’s coal sector, which remains one of the world’s largest despite years of efforts to reduce mining accidents.

Wang Yong, an injured miner, told state media that when the incident happened, he did not hear a sound but saw a sudden plume of smoke.

“I smelled sulphur, the same smell you get from blasting. I shouted at people to run. As we were running I could see people collapsing from the fumes. Then I blacked out too,” he said.

“I lay there for about an hour or so before I came round on my own. I woke up the person next to me and we got out together.”

Some of the management team at the mine have reportedly been detained. The cause of the gas explosion has not yet been revealed, but state media reported that the levels of carbon monoxide – a highly toxic, odourless gas – in the mine were found to have “exceeded limits”.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 345 personnel from six rescue teams to help with the operation.