Beijing, May 23: Ninety miners were killed in a gas explosion in a coal mine in north China’s Shanxi Province, while all-out rescues are underway to reach those still unaccounted for, official media in Beijing reported on Saturday.
A total of 247 workers were underground when the accident occurred on Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi.
Mining disasters are common in energy-hungry China, and are largely attributed to poor working conditions and a weak regulatory framework.
The death toll rose to 90 following the accident, while around 123 people of those rescued are receiving treatment at hospitals, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition. Nine people remain unaccounted for as rescue operations continue to locate them, state-run media reported.
“As long as there is hope, we will make every possible effort,” one rescuer told Xinhua.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued instructions for a comprehensive rescue operation and treatment of the injured. He has called for proper handling of the aftermath of the accident and sought a thorough investigation into its cause, with accountability pursued in accordance with the law.
Xi has stressed that authorities across the country must learn from the accident, remain vigilant on workplace safety, and intensify efforts to identify and eliminate potential risks to prevent major accidents.
As China enters its flood season, Xi also called for strengthened emergency preparedness and solid flood control and disaster relief measures to safeguard people’s lives and property.
Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has led a team to the site to oversee the rescue efforts.
While such incidents take place almost every year, the worst mining disaster was in 2005, resulting in the death of 214 people, following a gas explosion at the Sunjiawan coal mine in Liaoning province in China’s northeast.
