At least 82 people were killed and more than 120 others were hospitalized after a massive gas explosion tore through a coal mine in northern China late Friday, according to the Associated Press. Two people remain missing.
The devastating blast occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, located in Shanxi province, making it the country’s deadliest mining disaster in recent years.
Local officials have opened an investigation and identified “serious violations” committed by the mine’s operator, Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group.
The explosion set off a wave of heightened safety inspections across China’s coal sector, tightening the supply outlook for coking coal and pushing prices sharply higher on Monday, according to Reuters.
Rescuers work at the site following a gas explosion at Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, Shanxi province, China May 23, 2026. (cnsphoto via REUTERS)
According to the AP, the explosion created a chaotic scene in which thick smoke engulfed the mine and suffocated many victims underground. One miner lost consciousness, while many others suffered from toxic gas exposure, CCTV reported.
The disaster has intensified scrutiny from Chinese officials, who said investigators uncovered multiple safety violations at the site, though further details remain unclear.
A deadly gas explosion ripped through the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, Shanxi province, China on May 23, 2026. (China Daily via REUTERS)
In 2024, China’s National Mine Safety Administration had already classified the mine as disaster-prone due to its “high gas content,” the AP reported. State media also noted that blueprints supplied by the mine did not match the site’s actual layout, complicating rescue operations.
Chinese President Xi