AI generated image used for representation
A gas explosion at the Liuxinyu coal mine in the northern Chinese city of Changji has claimed the lives of at least 82 people, Agence France-Presse reported Saturday.The explosion that occurred in northern China led to a major rescue operation after hundreds of workers were trapped underground, according to the South China Morning Post.The explosion occurred on Friday in Qinyuan County, about 520 kilometers southwest of Beijing, shortly after the mine issued a carbon monoxide alert. At the time of the explosion, there were 247 workers underground. Authorities have not yet clarified whether more miners are still trapped.Chinese President Xi Jinping directed rescuers to “make every effort” to locate the missing workers and ensure “the relics are properly handled.”
He also called for strict accountability, saying those responsible for the incident must be held accountable.“All regions and departments should learn from the lessons of the accident, remain vigilant regarding workplace safety, thoroughly investigate and correct all kinds of hidden hazards and dangers, and resolutely prevent and reduce major and serious accidents,” Xi said.In addition, Xi warned of seasonal weather risks, noting that China is entering the rainy season and urging authorities to strengthen flood prevention measures.
The warning comes days after heavy rains hit Shimen County, Hunan Province, killing at least seven people and affecting more than 100,000 residents. Local authorities said that 14 people were still missing.Chinese Premier Li Qiang echoed Xi’s remarks, and ordered authorities to spare no effort in searching for the missing miners. He also called for a rapid investigation into the causes of the explosion and the punishment of those responsible.Li also instructed the Workplace Safety Office of the State Council to remind local departments of their duty to investigate industrial accidents and “firmly” prevent future disasters.The death toll from the explosion rose sharply from 8 to 82 overnight. “Reporters at the scene of the gas explosion at the Liuxinyu coal mine… learned that the accident claimed the lives of more than 82 people,” state broadcaster CCTV said, adding that rescue operations were still underway.The explosion occurred at around 7:30 pm local time on Friday in a coal mine in northern China’s Shaanxi Province.The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation.Shanxi is the main coal producing province in China and is larger than Greece. About 34 million people live there. Last year, miners in the province extracted about 1.3 billion tons of coal, nearly a third of China’s total coal production.
