China Coal Mine Explosion Kills 90 in Shanxi Province Gas Blast

Published: 23 May 2026 | The English Chronicle Desk | The English Chronicle Online

A devastating gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has killed at least 90 people, marking one of the country’s deadliest mining disasters in more than a decade, state media reported on Saturday.

The blast occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coalmine in Qinyuan county, where 247 workers were underground at the time of the incident. Emergency officials said the explosion triggered a large-scale rescue operation, with hundreds of personnel deployed to the site as authorities raced to locate survivors and assess the scale of the damage.

According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Shanxi provincial authorities dispatched seven rescue and medical teams, involving more than 750 emergency responders. Rescue operations continued through Saturday as investigators worked alongside emergency crews to determine the cause of the explosion and to search for any remaining trapped miners.

Shanxi province, a major coal-producing region often described as the heart of China’s coal industry, has long faced scrutiny over industrial safety standards. While fatalities in the sector have declined significantly since the early 2000s due to stricter regulations, major accidents continue to occur, particularly in older or heavily industrialised mining sites.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered officials to “spare no effort” in rescue and medical efforts following the explosion, while also calling for a full investigation into the cause of the disaster. He stressed the importance of holding those responsible accountable and urged all regions to strengthen workplace safety enforcement to prevent similar tragedies.

Premier Li Qiang echoed those instructions, demanding timely and transparent reporting of the incident and a rigorous examination of safety procedures at the mine. Authorities have already detained executives linked to the company operating the site, according to state media reports.

The mine is run by Shanxi Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Industry, a company established in 2010 and controlled by a larger coal coking group based in the province. Local emergency officials confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine whether safety violations or equipment failures contributed to the gas explosion.

China has made significant progress in reducing mining deaths over the past two decades, with stricter enforcement of safety rules and the closure of many smaller, high-risk operations. However, coal mining remains one of the country’s most dangerous industries due to the risks of gas leaks, explosions, and flooding in deep underground tunnels.

The latest disaster is being compared to previous major mining tragedies, including a 2009 explosion in Heilongjiang province that killed 108 workers. Analysts say the recurrence of such incidents highlights ongoing challenges in enforcing safety standards consistently across all mining regions.

As rescue teams continue their work, families of the miners have gathered near the site awaiting news, while authorities have pledged support for victims and their relatives. Officials have not yet confirmed the full number of missing workers, and the death toll may still rise as operations continue.