CHINA has been rocked by its deadliest mining disaster in more than a decade after a gas explosion tore through a coal mine in the northern province of Shanxi, killing at least 90 workers and leaving rescue teams scrambling through hazardous underground conditions.
The explosion struck the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county late on Friday while 247 workers were on duty below ground, according to state news agency Xinhua.
authorities saying a large-scale rescue efforts remained ongoing as investigators worked to determine the cause of the blast in Shanxi, China’s principal coal-producing region.
The mine is operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Industry, a company established in 2010 and controlled by Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group, according to corporate records.
Reuters reported on Sunday that President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to “spare no effort” in treating the injured and carrying out rescue operations, while demanding a comprehensive investigation into the tragedy and strict legal accountability for those responsible.
Premier Li Qiang also called for the timely and accurate release of information and urged officials to ensure rigorous accountability throughout the investigation process.
State media later reported that company executives linked to the mine had been detained by authorities.
The scale of the disaster has reignited scrutiny over industrial safety standards in China’s mining sector despite years of regulatory reforms aimed at reducing fatalities.
China has significantly lowered the number of deadly mining incidents since the early 2000s through stricter enforcement measures and improved safety protocols, particularly after a series of catastrophic explosions and floods in coal mines across the country.
However, gas explosions remain among the most persistent dangers in underground mining operations.
The last mining tragedy of comparable scale occurred in 2009, when a coal and gas outburst in Heilongjiang province killed 108 people and injured 133 others.
In response to the latest disaster, Shanxi provincial authorities dispatched seven rescue and medical teams comprising 755 personnel to the site, according to emergency management officials in Qinyuan.
Images released by Chinese media showed rescue workers in protective gear operating amid debris and smoke outside the mine complex as ambulances and emergency crews flooded the area.
The disaster is expected to intensify pressure on regional authorities and mining operators to strengthen oversight in one of the world’s most dangerous industrial sectors. - May 24, 2026
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