Death toll jumps to 90 in China coal mine blast

The gas explosion occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, with 247 workers on duty underground, state media Xinhua reported earlier in the day.

Workers maintain intelligent mining equipment at a coal mine in northwest China, Feb. 29, 2024. Photo by Xinhua via AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for authorities to "spare ⁠no effort" in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, while ordering a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law, according to Xinhua.

Premier Li Qiang echoed the instructions, calling for timely and accurate release of information and rigorous accountability.

Rescue operations were ongoing and the cause of the accident was ‌under ⁠investigation, according to the local emergency management authority in Qinyuan.

China has significantly reduced coal mine fatalities - often caused by gas explosions or flooding - since the early 2000s through more stringent regulations and safer ⁠practices. The Liushenyu incident, though, was one of the deadliest reported in China in the past decade.

Executives of the company responsible for the ⁠mine have been detained, Xinhua reported.

Earlier Xinhua had reported only eight dead, with more than 200 people brought safely ⁠to the surface. It did not explain the jump in the death toll.