Chinese authorities announced Saturday evening that the death toll from the explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi province had been revised to 82, after several hours of confusion over the exact number of victims.
The accident occurred on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine, located in Qinyuan County, northern China. A gas explosion devastated the site while 247 workers were underground at the time of the disaster.
Initially, state media reported at least 90 deaths. At a press conference, local officials explained that this initial figure was incorrect due to the chaos that reigned immediately after the explosion.
Qinyuan County Chief Guo Xiaofang acknowledged that the mining company's worker count lacked clarity, leading to an inaccurate estimate of the number of casualties in the early hours following the disaster.
Despite this downward revision, it is the deadliest mining accident in China since 2009, when an explosion in a Heilongjiang mine killed 108 people.
Rescue teams are continuing their operations at the site while authorities have opened an investigation to determine the exact causes of the explosion and assess any potential liability.
Safety in coal mines remains a sensitive issue in China, the world's largest coal producer, despite efforts by authorities to strengthen safety standards after several deadly disasters in recent decades.
Community
Comments
Comments are open, but protected against spam. Initial posts and comments containing links undergo manual review.
Be the first to comment on this article.