At least 90 people have died after an accidental gas explosion at a coal mine in North China. As reported by the New York Post, the tragic incident is the country's worst mining accident in over 16 years.
The incident occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, in Shaanxi province. Shaanxi is China's coal-mining capital, which makes this accident all the more tragic. Further, there were 247 mine workers present underground at the coal mine when the explosion occurred.
The explosion happened on Friday, May 22, at around 7:29 pm local time.
The response from emergency services was staggering. In total, 755 people were dispatched to the Liushenyu mine. This includes 7 search and rescue teams.
The current cause of the gas explosion is unknown, according to local emergency services. However, according to The Guardian, local authorities were initially alerted that something had gone horribly wrong due to carbon monoxide sensors sounding alarms.
Although the confirmed death toll has reached 90, it is speculated that this could rise as responders trawl through the mine looking for survivors.
China's president, Xi Jinping, has called on authorities to "spare no effort" for search and rescue operations. He has also ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident. According to Chinese state media, the executives responsible for the mine have been arrested.
Shaanxi's premier, Li Qiang, has also called for "rigorous accountability" for those responsible.
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This Comes as China Is Vying To Stop Mine Accidents
According to research conducted into mine accidents in China, the mining industry is a "foundational pillar" of the Chinese economy.
But safety regulations were tightened toward the start of the 2010s. This has led to a general decrease in mining accidents—around 10%, according to the research.
So this mine explosion is particularly harrowing. The fact that an accident this deadly hasn't occurred since before the safety regulations were put into force just shows how deadly this accident truly was.
This is a truly shocking incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. We hope anyone still stuck in the mine is rescued soon.
