At least 90 people have been killed after a massive gas explosion ripped through the Liushenyu coal mine in northern China’s Changzhi City, marking one of the country’s deadliest mining disasters in nearly a decade. Nine workers remain missing as rescue operations continue deep underground. The death toll rose sharply on Saturday as emergency teams intensified search efforts, while Chinese state media reported that several mine executives had been detained in connection with the disaster.
The accident occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi City at 9:43 p.m. local time, when 247 workers were below ground. Rescue operations were still ongoing in the early hours of Saturday morning.
What Caused the Incident
State media reported that carbon monoxide levels inside the mine had “exceeded limits,” triggering the emergency. The exact cause of the gas buildup had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.
What Is Carbon Monoxide and Why Is It So Dangerous?
Carbon monoxide is a gas that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, making it virtually impossible to detect without specialist equipment. It is for this reason that it is widely referred to as a “silent killer.”
When a person breathes in carbon monoxide, it enters the bloodstream and attaches itself to hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen around the body. The problem is that carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin roughly 250 times more easily than oxygen does, meaning the body’s tissues and vital organs are starved of the oxygen they need to function. Victims can lose consciousness and die before they even realise they have been exposed.
In an enclosed underground environment like a coal mine, where ventilation is limited and workers have nowhere to go, a sudden rise in carbon monoxide levels can become life-threatening within minutes.
Rescue Efforts Continue
Authorities were working through the night to reach the remaining miners still underground. No further details about the timeline or method of the rescue operation had been released at the time of publication.
China has a long and difficult history with coal mining accidents, with safety incidents at mines occurring with troubling regularity despite ongoing government efforts to tighten regulations across the industry.
With several of workers still unaccounted for, the situation at the Liushenyu mine remained serious as rescue teams pressed on through Saturday morning.