Coal Mine Gas Explosion in Shanxi Kills at Least 82

The death toll from a gas explosion at a coalmine in northern China’s Shanxi province has risen to at least 82, state media Xinhua reported on Saturday, with nine people still missing.

The gas explosion happened late on Friday at the Liushenyu coalmine in Qinyuan county, while 247 workers were underground, Xinhua reported. Initial reports said eight people had been killed, while more than 200 people had been brought safely to the surface.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for authorities to “spare no effort” in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, while ordering an investigation into the cause of the accident and who was accountable, according to Xinhua.

Premier Li Qiang echoed the instructions, calling for timely and accurate release of information and rigorous accountability.

Rescue operations had begun and the cause of the accident was under investigation, according to the local emergency management authority in Qinyuan.

China has significantly reduced coalmine fatalities – often caused by gas explosions or flooding - since the early 2000s by imposing more stringent regulations and safer practices. However, this latest accident was one of the deadliest reported in China in the past decade.

Executives of the company responsible for the mine have been detained, Xinhua reported.