At least 90 people have been killed in a coal mine blast in northern China, according to state media.
The gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province is the worst mining disaster in China since 2009.
There were 247 workers reportedly on duty when the blast occurred at 19:29 local time on Friday (22:29 GMT), with more than 100 people reportedly pulled to safety and hundreds of rescuers sent to the site.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for no effort to be spared in treating the injured and searching for survivors, and urged the government to investigate the cause of the blast and hold those responsible to account.
Twenty-seven people remain in a local hospital, with one in critical condition, while the rest have minor injuries. Most were affected after inhaling poisonous gas, according to state media, though it is not clear what type of gas it was.
Wang Yong, an injured miner, told state media that when the incident happened, he did not hear a sound but saw a sudden plume of smoke.
“I smelled sulphur, the same smell you get from blasting. I shouted at people to run. As we were running, I could see people collapsing from the fumes. Then I blacked out too,” he said.
“I lay there for about an hour or so before I came round on my own. I woke up the person next to me and we got out together.”
Some members of the mine’s management team have reportedly been detained. The cause of the gas explosion has not yet been revealed, but state media reported that carbon monoxide levels in the mine — a highly toxic, odourless gas — were found to have “exceeded limits”.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 345 personnel from six rescue teams to assist with the operation.
State media said the rescue efforts have faced difficulties as water has built up near the explosion site, blocking access to certain areas, while mine blueprints did not match the actual conditions underground.
In 2024, the Liushenyu mine was listed among “severe safety hazards” by the Chinese National Mine Safety Administration.
Tongzhou Group, which operates the mine, reportedly received two administrative penalties in 2025 for safety violations.
Shanxi province produces more than a quarter of China’s total coal output.
The disaster is a reminder of the darkest days of China’s coal mining industry.
In the early 2000s, deadly accidents were common in coal mines across the country. Safety standards have been tightened in recent years, and authorities have cracked down on illegal coal mines, especially in Shanxi.
However, accidents still occur.
In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in the northern Inner Mongolia region killed 53 people.
In 2009, an explosion at a mine in Heilongjiang province in the northeast killed more than 100.
China is the world’s largest consumer of coal and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, even as it rapidly expands renewable energy capacity.
The incident comes just days after high-profile visits by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the country.
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