China coal mine gas explosion kills 82, state media Xinhua reported, with later updates raising the toll.
Xinhua said the blast occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Shanxi Province while 247 workers were on duty underground.
The gas explosion struck at 7:29 p.m. and rescue teams immediately mounted operations, the local emergency management authority said.
State media first reported eight fatalities then later said at least 82 people had died, and an updated bulletin gave a death toll of 90 with nine still missing.
Some trapped miners were reported in critical condition as carbon monoxide levels had exceeded limits in parts of the mine, Xinhua said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to spare no effort in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, according to Xinhua.
Premier Li Qiang echoed those instructions and called for timely and accurate information release and strict accountability, Xinhua reported.
Executives of the company that runs the Liushenyu mine have been detained as part of the investigation, Xinhua said.
Background And Safety Record
Xinhua described the Liushenyu incident as one of the deadliest coal mine accidents in China in the past decade.
The province of Shanxi was identified as one of China’s main coal mining regions and was named the country’s coal mining capital in reports.
According to official data from the National Mine Safety Administration, more than 3,000 mine accidents occurred across China between 2010 and 2025.
State media also noted that just last month four people were found dead after a roof collapse at a coal mine in Xingxian County, Shanxi.
Rescue operations at Liushenyu continued and local authorities said the cause of the gas explosion was under investigation, Xinhua reported.
