A deadly gas explosion at a coal mine in northern Shanxi Province has killed at least eight people and left 38 others trapped underground, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to order an all-out rescue operation.
According to Chinese state media, the explosion happened late Friday night at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County while hundreds of workers were underground.
Reports said a total of 247 miners were on duty at the time of the blast.
By early Saturday morning, rescue teams had successfully brought 201 workers to the surface, while eight fatalities were confirmed.
Emergency crews are continuing search and rescue operations to locate the remaining trapped miners.
Following the incident, Xi Jinping instructed authorities to “spare no effort” in rescuing survivors and treating the injured.
He also ordered a full investigation into the cause of the explosion and demanded strict accountability for those found responsible.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang echoed the directive, calling for transparent information updates and a thorough investigation into the disaster.
Local emergency management authorities said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Coal mine accidents remain a serious issue in China despite years of government efforts to improve industrial safety standards across the country’s mining sector.
