An unthinkable tragedy is shocking China and the international community, as 90 people lost their lives following an explosion at a coal mine in the northeastern part of the country. The gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province represents the most serious mining disaster to occur in China since 2009.
China: First reports on the tragedy
At the time of the coal mine explosion, a total of 247 people were working. Of these, 90 lost their lives, while 100 people have been transported to safety. Meanwhile, hundreds of rescuers have been deployed to the area and continue efforts to locate and rescue those trapped. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for every possible effort to be made both for the care of the injured and for locating survivors, while urging relevant authorities to proceed with a full investigation into the causes of the explosion.
According to information available so far, 27 people remain hospitalized at a local hospital, with one of them in critical condition, while the others have minor injuries.
Shocking testimony from the coal mine
As reported by the BBC citing local media, most of the workers appear to have lost their lives due to inhalation of toxic gas, though it has not yet been clarified what type of gas was involved.
Wang Yong, an injured coal miner, described to state media the moments that followed the explosion. As he reported, at the time of the incident he didn’t hear any loud noise, but suddenly noticed a column of smoke. “I smelled sulfur, the same smell you get from explosions. I shouted for people to run. As we were running, I saw people collapsing from the smoke. Then I fainted too,” he said characteristically.
Describing the moments that followed, he added: “I stayed there for about an hour before I came to by myself. I woke up a person who was next to me and we went out together.”
Causes of the explosion remain unknown
So far, the exact causes of the gas explosion have not been disclosed. However, according to state media, measurements showed that carbon monoxide levels — a particularly toxic and odorless gas — in the mine “exceeded permissible limits.”
The worst mining disaster since 2009
During the early 2000s, fatal accidents in coal mines were frequently recorded in various regions of China. Although safety measures have been strengthened in recent years, similar incidents continue to occur. Today’s tragedy is considered the most serious since 2009, when an explosion at a mine in Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China, caused the death of more than 100 people.
