At least 82 people have been killed, two are missing, and more than 120 are injured after a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in north China’s Shanxi province on 22 May. The incident is being reported as China’s worst mining disaster in more than 15 years.
According to the BBC, 247 workers were reportedly on duty when the blast occurred at 19:29 local time (11:29 GMT). The privately owned coal mine is operated by Tongzhou Group.
China’s state media reported that some of Tongzhou’s management have been put under “control measures,” though the BBC said it was unclear what that means. Production has been suspended at all four mines run by Tongzhou. Further, local officials have ordered immediate safety inspections of coal mines across Shanxi province.
State media highlighted various issues found so far at the mine, including the fact that some workers did not bring mandatory tracking devices into the site, blueprints provided by the mine to authorities did not match the conditions at the mine, and the number of people in the mine at the time of the explosion was double that listed in the company’s official count.
In 2024, the Liushenyu mine was listed as having “severe safety hazards” by the Chinese National Mine Safety Administration. Moreover, Tongzhou received two administrative penalties in 2025 for safety violations.
Source: BBC