A massive coal mine explosion in China has killed at least 82 people, while nine miners remain missing following the incident in the country’s northern mining region.
According to Chinese state media, the blast occurred on Friday evening at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Changzhi.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that rescue teams recovered additional bodies overnight as emergency operations continued at the site.
The Xinhua News Agency stated that 247 workers were underground when the explosion happened.
By Saturday morning, authorities confirmed that 201 miners had been safely rescued and brought to the surface.
Officials said investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
Xi Jinping ordered full scale rescue operations and called for a comprehensive investigation into the disaster.
He also instructed authorities to hold those responsible accountable and strengthen safety measures in the mining sector.
The accident occurred in Shanxi Province, widely regarded as the country’s coal mining hub and one of China’s largest coal producing regions.
The province reportedly produces nearly one third of China’s total coal output and extracted around 1.3 billion tonnes of coal last year.
Although mine safety standards in China have improved over recent decades, fatal accidents continue to occur in the coal industry, frequently raising concerns over workplace safety, operational oversight and enforcement of regulations.
Emergency crews continue search and rescue operations in hopes of locating the remaining missing miners.
