A serious methane explosion occurred on Friday at the Liúshenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Shanxi province, northern China. According to the Xinhua news agency, 247 workers were underground at the time of the blast, which killed at least 90 people.
This is the deadliest mining disaster in China in over a decade. Rescue teams continue searching for survivors. The explosion happened shortly after a carbon monoxide alarm was triggered, indicating gas levels had exceeded safe limits.
State media CGTN reported that the person responsible for overseeing the mine has been detained as authorities investigate the cause of the explosion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a directive urging all relevant departments nationwide to strengthen the prevention of serious accidents. He called on "all regions and departments to learn lessons from the accident, maintain vigilance on workplace safety, thoroughly investigate and rectify all kinds of risks and hidden dangers, and resolutely prevent the occurrence of major and serious accidents."
Video footage posted on social media shows multiple ambulances gathered near the explosion site.
Shanxi, where the accident occurred, is China's main coal-mining region. Last year, it produced over a billion tonnes of coal, accounting for nearly one-third of the national total. China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, responsible for more than half of global consumption. The country is also the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, while simultaneously being a leading producer of renewable energy.
China's coal mines are considered among the most dangerous in the world due to poor safety standards, weak management, and corruption, as companies seek to maximize profits from the country's rapidly growing economy.
