Overview
- A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county occurred on Friday evening with 247 workers underground and state media later reporting the confirmed death toll rising sharply to between 82 and 90 while nine people remain unaccounted for.
- Rescue teams have brought most miners to the surface and sent more than 300 emergency personnel and hundreds of medical staff to the site, with many injured taken to hospital and several in serious condition.
- Authorities reported that carbon monoxide levels inside the mine exceeded safety limits, which has made deeper recovery work hazardous and slowed efforts to reach the missing miners.
- President Xi ordered an all-out rescue and a full investigation, local authorities detained or placed company officials under legal control, and Beijing has ordered tougher inspections of unsafe mining practices.
- The Liushenyu mine was flagged in 2024 for high gas content, and the disaster has renewed scrutiny of safety enforcement in Shanxi, China’s main coal‑producing province that remains central to national energy supply.