Beijing: A massive explosion in a Chinese coal mine has shocked the country, killing at least 82 workers and leaving nine missing.
The explosion occurred at around 7.29 pm on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in China’s Shaanxi province, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported.
A total of 247 workers were working at the site when the explosion occurred, most of whom were safely evacuated by rescue workers. However, 82 people have been confirmed dead in the incident, and intensive search operations are ongoing for nine more.
Footage broadcast by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed rescue workers carrying out the injured on stretchers and ambulances at the site.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed deep concern over the incident and has instructed authorities to immediately treat the injured and conduct rescue operations on a military scale. He has also ordered a thorough investigation into the tragedy.
All regions and departments should learn from these incidents. No negligence in industrial safety should be tolerated. “Strict measures are needed to prevent such major disasters.”
The owner of the company responsible for the explosion has been detained according to law, Chinese state media reported.
While only four people were initially reported dead, the death toll has risen rapidly since the discovery of excessive levels of carbon monoxide inside the mine. Officials said some of the workers trapped inside were in critical condition.
China’s Shaanxi province is one of the country’s major coal-producing regions. Although mine safety has improved in the past few decades, such accidents are recurring due to lax safety regulations and a lack of clear controls.
In 2023, 53 people died in a landslide at a coal mine in the northern Inner Mongolia region. In 2009, more than 100 people died in a mine explosion in Heilongjiang province.