Eight Dead, 38 Still Trapped After Gas Explosion Rocks China Coal Mine in Shanxi Province

A deadly gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China has claimed at least eight lives and left dozens of workers trapped underground, with rescue operations continuing into Saturday morning, state media reported.

The blast struck the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province at 7:29 pm local time on Friday, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. At the time of the explosion, a total of 247 workers were present underground. By 6:00 am on Saturday, 201 of them had been successfully brought to the surface. However, eight fatalities have been confirmed and 38 workers remain trapped, with some reported to be in critical condition, according to local emergency management authorities.

Earlier reports indicated that carbon monoxide levels — a highly toxic, odourless gas — had exceeded safe limits inside the mine, significantly complicating rescue operations and raising fears for the survival of those still underground.

President Xi Jinping responded swiftly, calling for all-out efforts to treat the injured and rescue those still trapped. He also ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the explosion. Xi stressed that all regions and government departments must draw concrete lessons from the accident, remain constantly alert to workplace safety risks, and take resolute action to prevent the recurrence of major industrial disasters.

Shanxi province, one of China’s economically poorer regions, is the country’s foremost coal-mining hub and has historically been the site of numerous mining accidents. While mine safety standards across China have improved considerably over recent decades, incidents continue to occur with troubling frequency in an industry where safety protocols are inconsistently enforced.

China remains the world’s largest consumer of coal and its biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, even as it simultaneously pursues the installation of renewable energy capacity at a record-breaking pace — a contradiction that continues to draw international scrutiny.