Coal Mine Explosion Kills 90 Workers

A coal mine in China exploded last Friday, with 247 workers present at the time. Latest updates indicate around 90 fatalities. Reports state the incident was triggered by a gas explosion, with toxic gases beneath the mine exceeding safe levels for an extended period, creating secondary disaster risks, according to officials at a press conference cited by Xinhua. A total of 345 emergency personnel were deployed to the site, where rescue teams had previously conducted “intensive” searches. Additionally, 755 emergency and medical staff were sent to the location. Injured miner Wang Yong told CCTV he heard no sound but detected a sulphur smell during the explosion. “I heard nothing, then smoke appeared,” he said, as reported by AFP. This marks China’s worst mining disaster in 17 years, with the previous worst occurring in 2009 when at least 108 died in a blast in Heilongjiang province.