BEIJING — A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has killed at least 90 people, making it one of the country’s deadliest mining disasters in recent years, according to state media.
The explosion occurred Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Around 247 workers were on duty at the time of the incident.
As of Saturday afternoon, nine miners remained missing while more than 120 people had been hospitalized. Rescue operations continued with hundreds of emergency responders and medical personnel deployed to the site.
Authorities said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation. State broadcaster CCTV reported that many of the injured suffered from exposure to toxic gas.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out rescue effort and ordered authorities to ensure proper handling of the aftermath.
According to Xinhua, Xi also directed officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the disaster and pursue legal accountability for those found responsible.
Local emergency officials later confirmed that individuals linked to the mining company had been placed under government control as investigations proceeded.
Survivor accounts revealed the chaos that unfolded underground. Wang Yong, one of the hospitalized miners, told CCTV he detected a sulfur-like smell moments before the blast.
“It smelled like firecrackers,” Wang said in a televised interview. “I told people to run. As I ran, I saw people being choked by the smoke. And then I blacked out.”
CCTV also reported that rescue operations faced complications after mine blueprints provided by operators reportedly did not match the actual underground layout.
The Liushenyu mine is operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group and has an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons. In 2024, China’s National Mine Safety Administration placed the facility on a national list of disaster-prone coal mines due to its high gas content.
Shanxi province remains China’s leading coal-producing region, accounting for nearly one-third of the country’s total coal output last year. The province, home to about 34 million people, relies heavily on mining as a key economic sector.
Coal continues to play a central role in China’s energy supply because of its affordability and availability, despite the country’s ongoing investment in renewable and green energy development.
Mining accidents, while reduced in frequency through stricter safety measures in recent years, remain a persistent concern. In February 2023, a collapse at an open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53 people. Earlier, in 2009, an explosion at a mine in Heilongjiang province claimed 108 lives.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
