At least 82 dead in coal mine blast, says China amid desperate hunt for missing workers

Published: 06:50, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 06:57, 23 May 2026 The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China's Shanxi ​province has jumped to at least 82, state media ‌Xinhua reported on Saturday  At least nine people are understood to still be missing. The gas explosion occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan ​county, with 247 workers on duty underground, Xinhua ​reported earlier in the day. Chinese President Xi Jinping called ⁠for authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured ​and conducting search and rescue operations, according to Xinhua. He ordered a ​thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law, the outlet said. 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.  Rescuers are attending the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city 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 safely brought ⁠to ​the surface. It did not explain ​the jump in the death toll. This is a breaking story. Please check back soon for more information. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.