China coal mine blast kills 90 workers

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Ninety people were killed by a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China. The incident is the deadliest mining disaster in the country in more than a decade.

State broadcaster CCTV reports rescue operations were ongoing through Saturday local time. In addition to the dead, nine workers were reported missing. “Rescue efforts are continuing. The number of casualties is still being counted,” CCTV said in its report, quoted on Saturday (23 May 2026).

The explosion occurred on Friday at 19:30 local time when 247 workers were underground. By Saturday morning at 06:00 local time, at least 201 workers had been evacuated.

The fatal incident took place at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city, Shanxi Province, the country’s largest coal-producing region. Earlier, the state news agency Xinhua reported that carbon monoxide levels in the mine were “above limit” before the explosion.

As of now, the exact cause of the Shanxi mine blast is under investigation.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping immediately ordered a large-scale rescue operation for workers still trapped underground. According to Xinhua, Xi also called for a thorough investigation into the causes of the accident. “Xi urged a thorough investigation into the causes, with accountability established in accordance with the law,” Xinhua reported.

The Qinyuan County Emergency Management Bureau said that 400 to 500 personnel had been deployed to carry out the underground rescue operation. Provincial officials had also arrived at the scene.

According to CNN International, the mine operator, Shanxi Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Industry, said it did not know the details of the incident. “I do not know the situation,” said the staff member who answered the call before ending the line.

China remains heavily dependent on coal as its main energy source, even as the government continues to push for a reduction in fossil fuel use. Shanxi Province alone accounts for more than a quarter of national coal production.

The coal mining industry in China is known for poor safety records. Although safety standards are said to have improved since the early 2000s, fatal accidents still occur. In 2023, 53 workers died after a mine collapsed in Inner Mongolia, according to state media.