A deadly gas explosion in a coal mine in northern China has killed at least 90 people, while rescue operations are still underway and authorities are launching a nationwide campaign against illegal mining activities after the country’s worst mining disaster in 17 years, Agence France-Presse reported.The explosion occurred on Friday evening at the Liuxinyu coal mine in Shaanxi Province, China’s main coal-producing region. State media said that 247 workers were underground at the time of the explosion, while more than 120 others were taken to hospital for treatment.What happened in my countryA gas explosion occurred at the Liuxinyu coal mine in Shaanxi Province on Friday evening, killing at least 90 people.State media said 247 workers were underground when the explosion occurred at around 7:29 p.m. local time.The authorities initially announced the death of four people, but the number rose sharply overnight as rescue teams arrived in other parts of the mine.Rescue operations continueState broadcaster CCTV said 123 injured workers were taken to hospital, four of them in critical or serious condition.As of Saturday afternoon, 33 workers had been discharged from hospital after treatment, according to state media reports.A total of 755 emergency personnel and medical crews were deployed as rescue operations continued at the site.
The survivor remembers the explosionInjured miner Wang Yong told CCTV that there was a “puff of smoke” before he smelled sulfur inside the mine.He said that many of the workers suffocated because of the smoke before he lost consciousness during the accident.“I lay down for about an hour and woke up alone. I called the people next to me and we walked out of the mine together,” Wang said.China orders strict measures and investigationChinese authorities launched what official media described as a “rigorous” investigation into the explosion and pledged to “severely” punish those found responsible.President Xi Jinping called for “all-out efforts” to treat the injured and ordered comprehensive investigations into the incident.State media also said authorities had ordered a nationwide crackdown on illegal mining practices, including falsified safety data, unclear underground worker numbers and illegal contracting activities.
