Thursday, May 28Thursday, May 28Deadly gas explosion in China coalmine kills 90, marking country’s worst mining disaster in 17 years
A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coalmine in China’s northern Shanxi province has killed at least 90 workers, officials confirmed, making it the country’s deadliest mining accident since 2009. The blast occurred at 7:29 p.m. local time on Friday (12:29 p.m. BST) while 247 miners were underground in Qinyuan county, according to state media agency Xinhua . President Xi Jinping has ordered authorities to "spare no effort" in rescue operations, though no survivors have been reported.
Survivors described smelling sulfur in the aftermath, a telltale sign of a gas ignition, *Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung* reported . Safety concerns had been raised at the mine for months prior to the disaster, despite recent government efforts to tighten workplace regulations in high-risk industries.
The Liushenyu mine, like many in Shanxi—a province critical to China’s coal production—has faced scrutiny over lax enforcement of safety protocols. The explosion underscores persistent risks in the sector, where methane and coal dust ignitions remain a leading cause of fatalities. China’s last mining disaster of comparable scale occurred in 2009, when 108 workers died in a gas blast in Heilongjiang province.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion, though no official findings have been released. The tragedy comes as China continues to rely on coal to meet energy demands, even as it expands renewable energy capacity. Shanxi, home to some of the country’s largest coal reserves, has been a focal point for both production and safety reforms.
> Background: **TRENDING — Deadliest China coal mine gas explosion in 17 years kills 90** — *10 hours ago*
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