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Breaking82 killed in Chinese coal mine explosion
The blast in Shanxi province happened shortly after the mine had issued a carbon monoxide alert
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Yuanyue Dangin BeijingandKandy Wongin Hong KongPublished: 12:58pm, 23 May 2026Updated: 1:10pm, 23 May 2026
At least 82 people have been killed in a blast at a coal mine in the central Chinese province of Shanxi that trapped dozens more.
State news agency Xinhua reported that the gas explosion happened in Qinyuan county, about 520km (320 miles) southwest of Beijing, on Friday after the mine issued a carbon monoxide alert late on Friday.
There were 247 workers underground at the time of the blast. It was unclear whether other workers remained trapped.
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President Xi Jinping called for rescuers to “make every effort” to find the missing and said the aftermath must be “properly handled”.
He said those responsible for the accident should be held to account, adding: “All regions and departments must learn from the lessons of the accident, remain vigilant regarding workplace safety, thoroughly investigate, rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers, and resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of major and serious accidents.”
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Xi also said it was the rainy season and called for effective flood prevention efforts.
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