Authorities were investigating safety failures in a coal mine operator in northern China, while rescuers looked for the missing from the country’s deadliest coal mine explosion that occurred in recent years and killed at least 80 people. Subscribe to this story to enjoy it ad free

Enjoy unlimited access to exclusive content and articles without ads. An Associated Press journalist witnessed security and police guarding the entrance of the mining facility located at Qinyuan in Changzhi city, as well as emergency vehicles on the site. State media reported that hundreds of medical personnel and emergency responders were dispatched to assist with the rescue effort. According to Xinhua News Agency’s official report, rescuers had to take turns to descend the mine shaft. This was due to obstacles like flooded tunnels. After the explosion that occurred Friday night at the

mine in Shanxi, the Chinese president Xi Jinping demanded a thorough investigation to determine the cause and the responsible parties. Local officials announced late Saturday that there were two missing miners and dozens hospitalized. Officials revised down the death toll, which was originally 90. They attributed the change to “chaotic scenes” in the aftermath of the accident and inaccurate information from the mine operator. According to the state media, hospitalized miner’s reported seeing smoke or blacking out. The toxic gas was responsible for many of the injuries. Coal-rich Province

The province of inland

, southwest of Beijing, with a population of proximately 34 million people, is China’s primary coal-mining region. Residents say that the village Shangzhuang lies just a few hundred meters from the coal mine. Some of the miners working at the site, as well as some of those killed, reside there. The village is centered around a single street, which is used by mining trucks. Two-story houses with some red-tiled roofing are on both sides. Some of the houses are divided into different rooms and rented by people, including miners. Residents reported that, after the gas explosion, the other mines around the area were shut down, and some workers left while others stayed back to await their wages. Wang Linjun said that he was home at the time of the explosion. He told the that “my heart is very heavy.” “No one can feel good about the fact that people who have worked together and eaten together for years are suddenly gone.” Wang told . He does not wish to continue working, but he is unsure of his next step. Miners are paid up to 10,000 yuan (1,500 dollars) per month. Feng Renfu said that he, too, was a Liushenyu miner and he had been working in the pit adjacent to the accident. Feng Renfu, also a miner at Liushenyu, said that he was working underground in a pit next to the one where the accident took place.

My father is more than 80 years old and is worried about my well-being. Feng says that he always calls to see if I’m doing well and safe at work. There are eight people who depend on me. Liushenyu coal mine Safety lses were investigated.

According to local officials, the coal mine violated the laws “seriously”, but they didn’t elaborate. CCTV, China’s national broadcaster, reported that the blueprints supplied by the Liushenyu mine did not match up with the actual layout. This hampered the rescue efforts. State media announced that those responsible for the accident had been “put under control”. On Sunday, the People’s Daily published a commentary urging all regions and departments “to always keep safety in mind.” A more extensive inspection of coal mining could affect the province’s cacity to produce 1.3 billion tons of coal annually, which is nearly a third China’s total. Last year, China’s coal production reached 4.8 billion tons. China is still reliant on coal. In the last few years, authorities have taken measures to increase safety. In 2024, China’s National Mine Safety Administration placed the Liushenyu coal mine, run by the private Shanxi Tongzhou Group, on its national list of mines that are prone to disaster.