At least 82 people have been confirmed dead and two remain missing after a gas blast ripped through the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province, northern China, officials said.
Rescue authorities revised the toll late Saturday, lowering it from an earlier figure of 90, BBC reports.
The explosion, which struck at 7:29pm local time (11:29 GMT) on Friday, is the country’s worst mining disaster since 2009.
There were 247 workers on duty at the time. More than 100 were rescued as hundreds of emergency personnel rushed to the site.
China President Xi Jinping ordered all efforts to treat the injured and search for survivors, while the State Council pledged a “rigorous” investigation and severe punishment for those responsible.
Officials apologized for confusion over the death count, citing chaotic conditions and unclear headcounts in the immediate aftermath. Hospitals are treating 128 people, including two in critical condition.
Most suffered after inhaling poisonous gas, though the type has not been specified.
Rescuers deployed mine inspection robots equipped with gas sensors and infrared cameras early Sunday to probe inaccessible areas and detect signs of life. Local authorities ordered immediate safety checks across Shanxi, suspending production at all four mines operated by the Tongzhou Group, which runs Liushenyu.
One injured miner, Wang Yong, told state media he saw smoke and smelled sulphur before collapsing. “I shouted at people to run.
“As we were running, I could see people collapsing from the fumes. Then I blacked out too,” he said. He later regained consciousness and escaped with another worker.
Some members of the mine’s management have reportedly been detained. State media said carbon monoxide levels inside the mine had “exceeded limits.” The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched 345 personnel from six rescue teams, though operations have been hampered by water buildup and mismatched mine blueprints.
The Liushenyu mine was flagged in 2024 as a “severe safety hazard” by the National Mine Safety Administration. Tongzhou Group received two administrative penalties in 2025 for safety violations. Shanxi province produces more than a quarter of China’s coal output.
This disaster recalls the darkest days of China’s coal mining industry.
