Mining accidents

At least 90 people have died after a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, marking one of the deadliest coal-mining incidents in the country.The explosion occurred at around 7:29 p.m. local time on Friday, May 22, at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi, Chinese outlets Xinhua, China Daily and Global Times reported, citing the Qinyuan County Emergency Management Bureau (QCEMB).A total of 247 miners were working underground at the site, operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Group, at the time of the gas explosion, according to the outlets. Xinhua initially reported on Saturday, May 23, that 82 people were killed in the explosion and nine were missing. It was later reported that eight others had also been killed, per China Daily and Global Times.“Following the incident, Party committees and governments at the provincial, city, and county levels attached great importance to the situation," the QCEMB said in a release, per Global Times. "Principal officials immediately made arrangements and deployments, promptly activated the emergency response mechanism, and rushed to the scene to direct rescue operations."
The explosion occurred after carbon monoxide levels “exceeded limits” inside the coal mine, per CNN, citing an earlier Xinhua report.Around 755 emergency personnel responded to the scene and 201 miners were safely rescued as of 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to Xinhua and China Daily.A total of 123 people were transported to local hospitals for treatment, including two in critical condition. Rescue efforts remain ongoing, per Global Times.Injured miner, Wang Yong, recalled seeing a burst of smoke and smelling sulfur “just like firecrackers,” per CNN.“I told people to run – while running, I saw people who had been choked and knocked down by the smoke, and then I fainted too,” said Wang. “Later, after lying there for about an hour or so, I woke … (and) then woke up the people next to me, and we left the mine together.”Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged a thorough investigation into the incident and those responsible, CCTV reported. Individuals responsible for the mining company involved in the incident have been taken into custody, China Daily reported, citing local rescue headquarters.PEOPLE has reached out to the QCEMB for comment.