At least 90 dead in Chinese coal mine explosion, state media reports
Chinese state media report that at least 90 workers have been killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern Shanxi province. The incident has been recorded as one of the country's deadliest mining accidents in more than a decade.
According to a statement carried by the Xinhua news agency, the explosion occurred shortly after midnight local time at a coal mine near the city of Lvliang in Shanxi province. Roughly 120 workers were underground at the time, 90 of whom were killed, with 27 others taken to hospital with injuries.
The national Ministry of Emergency Management identified a methane-related gas explosion as the most likely cause in its initial assessment and said a full investigation has been opened. Vice Premier of the State Council Liu Guozhong travelled to the site to oversee search-and-rescue operations in person.
Official statistics had shown a decline in coal-mining fatalities since the country's safety reform programme; however, Reuters compilation puts the 2025 figure at close to 230 fatal coal-mining accidents. Social-media discussion in China is exploring possible links between production pressure and the energy-security concerns triggered by the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.
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