A major gas explosion inside a coal mine in the Shanxi province of China has killed at least 82 people, as per reports. The explosion occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, northern China, on Friday evening, May 22, 2026, at around 7.30 pm.
BREAKING: At least 82 people have been killed in a coal mine accident in China’s Shanxi province, with 247 workers reportedly underground at the time of the incident, according to state media. pic.twitter.com/Rvl2MbWKmN
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) May 23, 2026
At the time of the explosion, around 247 workers were underground. Many were evacuated, but the death toll due to carbon monoxide continued to rise. The coal mine is owned by the Tongzhou Group. Officials who were in charge of the mine have been detained, the BBC reported.
Shanxi is China’s largest coal-producing region. It has a history of mining accidents despite safety improvements. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and local authorities have detained mine managers amid intensified scrutiny. President Xi Jinping has inssued urgent instructions to ensure all possible efforts for evacuation and medical treatment of the injured workers.
