The death toll was revised down from an initial report of 90, with local officials explaining that confusion at the scene and an unclear worker count led to the inaccurate early figure.
At the time of the explosion, 247 workers were underground, with 128 injured and hospitalised, 35 uninjured, and two individuals still unaccounted for.
The Liushenyu mine, owned by Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group, has been closed along with the company’s other three mines, and its executives have been detained.
President Xi Jinping called for a thorough investigation and efforts to treat the injured, while the state-run People’s Daily urged greater attention to safety in production to prevent future incidents.
