At least 90 killed in Chinese coal mine explosion, state media reports

At least 90 people have been killed in a coal mine blast in northern China, according to state media.

The gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province is the worst mining disaster in China since 2009.

There were 247 workers reportedly on duty when the blast happened at 19:29 local time on Friday (22:29 GMT), with more than 100 people reportedly pulled to safety and hundreds of rescuers sent to the site.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for no effort to be spared in efforts to treat the injured and search for survivors, and asked the government to investigate the cause of the blast and hold those responsible to account.

Twenty-seven people remain in a local hospital, with one in critical condition, while the rest have minor injuries. Most were affected after inhaling poisonous gas, according to state media, though it is not clear what type of gas it was.

Wang Yong, an injured miner, told state media that when the incident happened, he did not hear a sound but saw a sudden plume of smoke.

"I smelled sulphur, the same smell you get from blasting. 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.

"I lay there for about an hour or so before I came round on my own. I woke up the person next to me and we got out together."

Some of the management team at the mine have reportedly been detained. The cause of the gas explosion has not yet been revealed, but state media reported that the levels of carbon monoxide - a highly toxic, odourless gas - in the mine were found to have "exceeded limits".

China's Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 345 personnel from six rescue teams to help with the operation.

In 2024, the Liushenyu mine was listed as one of the "severe safety hazards" by the Chinese National Mine Safety Administration.

Tongzhou Group, which runs the mine, has reportedly received two administrative penalties in 2025 for safety issues.

Shanxi province produces more than a quarter of China's total coal output.

This disaster is a reminder of the darkest days of China's coal mining industry.

In the early 2000s, deadly accidents were common in coal mines across the country. Safety standards have been tightened in recent years, and there has also been a crackdown on illegal coal mines, especially in Shanxi.

But accidents still happen.

In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in the northern Inner Mongolia region killed 53 people.

And in 2009, an explosion at a mine in Heilongjiang province in the north-east killed more than 100.

China is the world's biggest consumer of coal and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, even as it installs renewable energy capacity at record speed.

The incident comes just days after high-profile visits by US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the country.