Eight workers killed, dozens still trapped after gas explosion at coal mine in northern China

An explosion rocked the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, northern China, killing eight workers and leaving dozens more trapped underground, according to state media reports on Saturday (May 23). The incident occurred on Friday night at about 19:29 local time.

The blast struck the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. The Xinhua News Agency reported that a total of 247 workers were underground at the time of the explosion.

As of Saturday morning at 06:00 local time, 201 workers had been evacuated and brought to the surface safely. Local emergency management authorities said that, in addition to the eight confirmed fatalities, 38 workers remained trapped inside the mine.

Xinhua previously reported that carbon monoxide, a highly toxic and odourless gas, had ‘exceeded’ safe limits inside the mine after the blast. Several workers still trapped were reportedly in ‘critical condition’.

Rescue efforts by emergency teams at the scene were ongoing.

‘The cause of the accident is under further investigation,’ Xinhua said.

Shanxi Province is known as the coal mining capital of China and is home to several mines that have experienced accidents in the past.

Although mining safety standards in the country have improved over the past decades, fatal accidents still occur. This is generally attributed to the routine laxity in enforcing safety protocols in the sector. China remains the world’s largest consumer of coal and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, despite the record pace of installing renewable energy capacity. (AFP/CNN/Z-2)