China coal mine explosion: Shanxi gas explosion kills more than 80; rescue operation for trapped people

A gas explosion killed at least 82 people at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi, northern China, AFP reported on Saturday.An explosion in northern China trapped hundreds of workers underground, triggering a massive rescue operation, the South China Morning Post reported.The explosion was reported on Friday shortly after a carbon monoxide alert was issued at the mine, located in Qinyuan County, about 520 kilometers southwest of Beijing. There were 247 workers underground at the time of the explosion. Authorities have not yet clarified whether more miners are trapped.President of China Xi Jinping Rescuers were instructed to “make every effort” to find the missing workers and ensure the aftermath was “properly handled.” He also called for strict accountability and those responsible for the accident must be held accountable.Xi Jinping pointed out that all regions and departments must learn lessons from accidents, maintain a high degree of vigilance in production safety, conduct in-depth investigations and rectification of various hidden risks, and resolutely prevent and contain major accidents.Xi Jinping also warned of seasonal weather risks, noting that China was entering the rainy season and urging authorities to step up flood control measures.A few days ago, heavy rainfall occurred in Shimen County, Hunan Province, killing at least seven people and affecting more than 100,000 residents. Local authorities said 14 people were still missing.Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang responded to Xi Jinping’s speech and ordered the authorities to spare no effort to find the missing miners. He also called for a swift investigation into the cause of the explosion and severe punishment for the perpetrators.Li Keqiang further instructed the State Council’s Work Safety Office to remind local authorities of their responsibility to investigate industrial accidents and “resolutely” prevent similar disasters from happening again.The death toll from the explosion rose sharply from 8 to 82 overnight. “Reporters at the scene of the gas explosion in the Liushenyu coal mine learned that more than 82 people were killed in the accident,” CCTV said, adding that rescue operations were still underway.The explosion occurred at around 7:30 pm local time on Friday at the coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province.The specific cause of the explosion is still under investigation.Shanxi Province is China’s main coal-producing province and is larger than Greece. Approximately 34 million people live there. Last year, miners in the province mined about 1.3 billion tons of coal, nearly one-third of China’s total coal production.