At least 90 people killed in China coal mine blast; several missing

A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China killed at least 90 people, state media reported on Saturday, marking the country’s largest mining disaster in 17 years.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, 247 workers were underground when the blast occurred at 7:29 pm (1129 GMT) on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province.

State broadcaster CCTV said at least 90 people had died and 123 were taken to hospital for treatment, four of whom were in critical or severe condition.

By 2:00 pm on Saturday, 33 of those treated had returned home, the broadcaster added.

A total of 755 emergency and medical personnel were dispatched to the site, and rescue efforts were still ongoing Saturday afternoon.

The explosion was the worst mining disaster in China since 2009, when 108 people were killed in a blast in northeast Heilongjiang province.

– Sulphur smell –

Survivor and injured miner Wang Yong told CCTV that a “puff of smoke” had appeared and he smelled sulphur.

He recalled seeing people choke on the smoke before he fainted.

“I lay down for about an hour and woke up by myself. I called the people next to me and got out of the mine together,” Wang said, according to CCTV.

Helmeted rescuers were carrying stretchers at the site, with ambulances visible in the background, video by CCTV showed.

President Xi Jinping urged “all‑out efforts” to treat the injured and called for a thorough investigation into the incident, according to Xinhua.

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”.

A person “responsible for” the company involved in the explosion has been “placed under control in accordance with the law”, Xinhua said.

State media initially reported four deaths and dozens trapped after levels of carbon monoxide — a highly toxic, odourless gas — in the mine were found to have “exceeded limits”.

Some of those stuck underground were in “critical condition”, that report said.

The death toll then jumped sharply as the morning wore on.

– Lax safety protocols –

Shanxi, one of China’s poorer provinces, is the centre of the country’s coal‑mining.

Mine safety in China has improved in recent decades, but accidents still occur in an industry where safety protocols are often lax and regulations vague.

In 2023, a collapse at an open‑pit coal mine in the northern Inner Mongolia region killed 53 people.

China is the world’s top consumer of coal and the largest greenhouse gas emitter, despite installing renewable energy capacity at record speed.

AFP

The post At least 90 killed in China coal mine blast, more missing appeared first on Vanguard News.