A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province in Northern China killed at least 90 people on Friday, state media confirmed Saturday, marking the country’s deadliest mining disaster in 17 years.
Authorities dispatched 345 emergency personnel to the site immediately after the blast, which struck at 7:29 pm local time (1129 GMT). Rescuers worked intensively through the night, and they brought most of the 247 underground workers to the surface by Saturday morning. However, nine miners remained unaccounted for as operations continued.
President Xi Jinping demanded “all-out efforts” to treat injured survivors, and he called for thorough investigations into the incident. Moreover, he “emphasised that all regions and departments must draw lessons from this accident, remain constantly vigilant regarding workplace safety … and resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of major and catastrophic accidents”.
State media also reported that authorities placed a person “responsible for” the mining company “under control in accordance with the law”. Additionally, initial reports highlighted dangerous carbon monoxide levels, a highly toxic, odourless gas, which had “exceeded limits” underground. Some trapped miners were in “critical condition”, according to early updates.
Mining Safety Challenges
Shanxi province serves as the center of China’s coal-mining industry, and it ranks among the country’s poorer regions. Although mine safety has improved significantly in recent decades, accidents still occur frequently. Specifically, safety protocols often remain lax, and regulations sometimes lack clarity.
For instance, a 2023 collapse at an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53 people. Furthermore, Friday’s explosion surpasses that incident in severity, becoming the worst since the 2009 Heilongjiang mine blast that claimed 108 lives.
China remains the world’s top coal consumer and largest greenhouse gas emitter, as the nation continues installing renewable energy capacity at record speed. Therefore, balancing energy demands with worker safety presents an ongoing challenge for policymakers.
