At least 82 people were killed and nine remain missing after a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi, Shanxi province—one of China’s deadliest mining accidents in a decade. Hundreds of miners were trapped underground and large-scale rescue operations were launched following the blast.
The explosion occurred on Friday in Qinyuan County, about 520 km southwest of Beijing. State reports say the incident followed an earlier carbon monoxide alert; around 247 workers were believed to be underground when the blast happened.
President Xi Jinping ordered a major rescue effort, instructing authorities to “make every effort” to find the missing and to ensure the aftermath was handled properly. He also called for lessons to be learned, said regions and departments must remain vigilant about workplace safety, and urged thorough investigations and remediation of hidden risks to prevent further major accidents. Xi warned that strict action would be taken against those found responsible.
Premier Li Qiang told the State Council’s workplace safety office to press local administrations to fulfill their duties investigating industrial accidents and to take resolute steps to prevent similar disasters in the future.
The exact cause is still under investigation. State media and emergency authorities have said a catastrophic buildup of toxic and volatile gases likely triggered the explosion. Carbon monoxide is highly toxic and can form explosive mixtures when combined with coal dust or pockets of methane that occur in deep shafts, creating conditions prone to ignition.
Xinhua reported that executives from the company that runs the Liushenyu mine have been detained as part of the post-accident response.
Shanxi province, where the mine is located, is China’s principal coal-producing region and is geographically larger than Greece. Local and national officials have emphasized urgent rescue work, safety inspections and accountability measures in the wake of the disaster.