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An unfortunate incident unfolded at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi city, as reported by the official news agency Xinhua. The accident, which occurred on Friday evening, involved approximately 247 workers who were on duty at that time.
Initially, Xinhua revealed early Saturday that the explosion resulted in the tragic deaths of eight individuals, with 38 more trapped underground. By Saturday afternoon, efforts were still underway to rescue nine people who remained trapped, according to the latest updates from Xinhua.
The cause of this catastrophic explosion is currently under investigation. Rescue operations are in full swing, although many of the injured have been affected by toxic gas exposure, as detailed by state media outlet CCTV.
In response to the crisis, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged for a determined and comprehensive rescue effort. He emphasized the necessity of a thorough investigation to uncover the cause of the explosion and insisted on accountability for those responsible, as reported by Xinhua.
It’s important to note that Shanxi province, where this incident occurred, is recognized as China’s primary coal mining region.
With a size larger than Greece and a population of about 34 million, the province’s hundreds of thousands of miners dug 1.17 billion tonnes of coal last year, almost a third of China’s total.