A gas explosion occurred at a coal mine in Qinyuan County, Shanxi Province, China, resulting in 8 deaths so far, with 38 people still trapped underground.
According to information on the Qinyuan County government website, the Qinyuan County Emergency Management Bureau issued a notice on the 23rd about the gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine under Tongzhou Group, stating that at 7:29 PM on the 22nd, a gas explosion occurred at the Tongzhou Group Liushenyu Coal Mine in Qinyuan County, with 247 workers on shift underground.
As of 6:00 AM, 201 people had safely returned to the surface, 8 had died, and 38 remained underground with rescue efforts ongoing. The cause of the accident is under further investigation.
Earlier, Xinhua News Agency reported that a carbon monoxide sensor at the Qinyuan Tongzhou Coal Industry Group Liushenyu Coal Mine had issued an alarm for excessive levels. At the time, a total of 247 people were working underground. As of 3:33 AM on the 23rd, 157 had returned to the surface, with 4 confirmed dead. There were still 90 people underground, including 16 in critical condition.
According to public records, Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group is a private enterprise in Qinyuan County, Shanxi Province, engaged in coal mining, washing, coking, and chemical product recovery. It was established in 1983, with total assets of 950 million yuan and more than 3,000 employees. The group operates several coal mines, mainly producing No. 2 prime coking coal, utilizing inclined shaft and fully-mechanized mining methods, with an annual capacity of 700,000 tons.
The group achieved an output value of 650 million yuan in 2005, paid 72 million yuan in taxes, and was recognized as a model unit in Shanxi Province, a “Top Ten Private Enterprise” in Changzhi City, as well as a leading enterprise and major taxpayer in Qinyuan County.