Gas explosion kills at least 90 at Chinese coal mine, worst in 17 years

A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province, China, has killed at least 90 workers, making it the country's worst mining disaster in 17 years. The blast occurred at 7:29 pm local time on Friday, May 23, 2026, when 247 workers were underground. By Saturday morning, most had been brought to the surface, but 9 people remained unaccounted for.

Emergency teams dispatched 345 personnel to the site, with rescuers working intensively to locate missing workers. The explosion was caused by carbon monoxide levels that "exceeded limits" in the mine, with some trapped workers in "critical condition." A person "responsible for" the involved company has been "placed under control in accordance with the law."

Chinese President Xi Jinping responded by urging "all-out efforts" to treat the injured and calling for thorough investigations. He emphasized that "all regions and departments must draw lessons from this accident" and remain vigilant about workplace safety to prevent similar catastrophic incidents.

Shanxi province, one of China's poorer regions, is the center of the country's coal mining industry. While mine safety has improved in recent decades, accidents continue to occur in an industry where safety protocols are often lax. In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53 people. China remains the world's top consumer of coal and largest greenhouse gas emitter despite record renewable energy installations.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/23/china-coal-mine-blast-kills-at-least-90-more-missing/