A catastrophic gas explosion at a coal mine in China's northern Shanxi province has left at least 82 people dead, local officials confirmed Saturday, in what is being described as the country's most lethal mining accident in recent memory.
The blast occurred Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city, operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group. The official Xinhua News Agency reported the incident, and by Saturday evening, authorities revised the death toll downward from an initial 90, citing chaotic conditions at the scene. More than 120 miners were hospitalized, with many suffering from toxic gas exposure, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Two miners remain missing, and rescue teams—numbering in the hundreds—continued search efforts. President Xi Jinping called for an all-out rescue mission and a “thorough investigation” with accountability “in accordance with the law,” Xinhua reported. A separate Xinhua dispatch said the State Council, China's cabinet, would lead a “rigorous and uncompromising” probe.
Local officials acknowledged “serious violations” of the law by the mine's operator but did not specify the infractions. Xinhua later reported that those responsible for the company had been “placed under control.” The mine had been flagged as disaster-prone by the National Mine Safety Administration in 2024 for its “high gas content,” and its annual production capacity is 1.2 million tons.
Survivor Wang Yong, hospitalized after the blast, told CCTV he smelled sulfur “like firecrackers” and saw smoke. “I told people to run,” he said. “As I ran, I saw people being choked by the smoke. And then I blacked out.” The broadcaster also reported that blueprints provided by the mine did not match the actual layout, hampering rescue efforts.
Shanxi province, larger than Greece and home to about 34 million people, is China's coal heartland. Its miners extracted 1.3 billion tons of coal last year—nearly a third of the national total. Coal remains a cornerstone of China's energy mix, even as the government pushes for a green transition. Mining disasters have been a persistent problem, though safety measures have improved in recent years.
This tragedy echoes past catastrophes: in February 2023, a collapse at an open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53, and in November 2009, an explosion in Heilongjiang province claimed 108 lives, according to state media. The latest blast underscores ongoing risks in a sector critical to China's economy but plagued by safety lapses.
For context on industrial accidents, see our coverage of a recent Staten Island shipyard blast that killed one and injured dozens, including firefighters. Meanwhile, debates over China's global role continue, as some argue Trump must not ease China sanctions without real accountability on issues like Iran and Taiwan.
