Eight Dead and 38 Trapped After Gas Explosion at Chinese Coal Mine

A gas explosion at a coal mine in China's Shaanxi Province has killed eight workers, left 38 trapped and prompted directives from President Xi Jinping.

A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China's Shaanxi Province has killed eight workers and left 38 others trapped underground, with rescue operations continuing around the clock.

The blast struck at approximately 7:29 pm local time on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine, operated by the Shaanxi Tongzhou Group in Qinyuan County, near the city of Changzhi. A total of 247 workers were inside the mine at the time of the explosion.

Emergency response teams were mobilised immediately at provincial, city, and county level. Senior officials travelled to the scene to personally oversee the rescue operation. By Saturday morning, 201 workers had been brought to safety, though eight deaths had been confirmed and 38 miners remained unaccounted for underground. Authorities said the rescue effort was continuing at full pace, with the immediate priority being the safe extraction of all those still trapped.

Local officials confirmed that a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion had been launched.

Xi Jinping Orders Full Rescue Effort

President Xi Jinping issued directives in the wake of the disaster, calling for every possible measure to be taken to rescue the trapped workers and ensure the prompt treatment of the injured. He urged that all post-accident matters be handled responsibly and that accountability be firmly established in accordance with the law.

Xi also called on officials nationwide to draw lessons from the tragedy, stressing the need for constant vigilance over workplace safety and a renewed push to identify and eliminate hazards before they result in loss of life.

Coal mining remains one of China's most dangerous industries, with gas explosions a persistent cause of fatalities despite years of government-led safety campaigns.