China mine explosion: death toll leaps to 90 after gas blast | China
The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s northern Shanxi province has risen to at least 90, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday.
The gas explosion occurred on Friday evening while 247 workers were underground at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, state media agency Xinhua reported. Previous reports stated that eight people died and more than 200 people were brought to the surface safely.
In the footage broadcast by state broadcaster CCTV, helmet-wearing rescuers can be seen carrying stretchers at the scene, while ambulances can be seen in the background.
The mining disaster is one of the deadliest disasters reported in China in the past decade. In 2023, 53 people died in a collapse in an open-pit coal mine in northern Inner Mongolia. And in 2009, an explosion at a mine in northeastern Heilongjiang province killed more than 100 people.
According to Xinhua, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident and who was responsible, while calling on authorities to “spare no effort” in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations.
He emphasized that “all regions and departments must learn from this accident, be constantly vigilant about workplace safety… and resolutely prevent and prevent major and devastating accidents from occurring.”
Premier Li Qiang reiterated the instructions, calling for timely and accurate disclosure of information and strict accountability.
According to the local emergency management authority in Qinyuan, rescue operations have begun and the cause of the accident is under investigation.
State media initially reported that four people had died and dozens were trapped after detecting that levels of carbon monoxide, a highly toxic, odorless gas, in the mine had “exceeded limits”. The report stated that the condition of some of those trapped underground was “critical”.
Since the early 2000s, China has significantly reduced coal mine deaths, which are often caused by gas explosions or floods, by implementing stricter regulations and safer practices.
Xinhua reported that executives of the company responsible for the mine were detained.
With Reuters and Agence France-Presse
