At least 82 people were killed in a coal mine blast in northern China, according to state media.
“Reporters learned from the scene of the gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine of the Tongzhou Group in Shanxi Province that the accident has resulted in 82 deaths,” state news agency Xinhua said.
The blast happened at 19:29 local time on Friday (11:29 GMT) at a coal mine in Shanxi, with 247 workers reportedly on duty at the time of the incident.
Rescue operations at the site are ongoing.
Earlier, state news agency Xinhua reported that carbon monoxide levels “exceeded limits” inside the Liushenyu coal mine in the city of Changzhi.
Coal is a key source of energy in China despite efforts in recent years to wean off the fossil fuel.
Shanxi is a major hub for Chinese coal and home to a mining industry with a notoriously poor safety record. In recent years, the province has been blighted by thousands of similar incidents.
The blast occurred at 7:30 p.m. local time (7:30 a.m. ET) on Friday, when 247 workers were underground.
At least 201 people were evacuated by 6:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to Xinhua.
The cause of the blast is under investigation, Xinhua said.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier called for an “all-out rescue” of the missing, Xinhua reported Saturday, adding he also “urged a thorough investigation into its cause, with accountability pursued in accordance with the law.”
By Agencies
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