Death toll exceeds 90 in China coal mine explosion

The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in China's Shanxi province has risen to at least 90, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday (23), with nine people still missing.

The gas explosion occurred on Friday night (22) at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, with 247 workers on duty underground, Xinhua news agency reported earlier in the day.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called on authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and carrying out search and rescue operations, as well as ordering a full investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law, according to Xinhua news agency.

Premier Li Qiang reiterated the instructions, calling for accurate disclosure of information and strict accountability.

Rescue operations were ongoing and the cause of the accident was being investigated, according to the local emergency management authority in Qinyuan.

Since the early 2000s, China has significantly reduced deaths in coal mines - often caused by gas explosions or floods - through stricter regulations and safer practices. The Liushenyu incident, however, was one of the deadliest recorded in China in the last decade.

According to the Xinhua agency, executives from the company responsible for the mine were detained.

Previously, Xinhua reported just eight deaths, with more than 200 people rescued to safety. The agency did not explain the sudden increase in the death toll.

Source: CNN