A gas explosion struck the privately operated Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, Shanxi province, China, on May 22 at 19:29 local time, trapping 247 workers underground [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Rescue teams saved 201 workers alive, but at least 82 deaths were confirmed by authorities by the evening of May 23, with some reports citing up to 90 fatalities [1, 3, 4, 7, 5, 6]. Authorities also report 128 injured and 2 people remain missing [7, 5, 6].

The Liushenyu mine, owned by Tongzhou Group, had been flagged by authorities in 2024 for severe hazards and was subject to two safety-related fines totaling 50,000 RMB in 2025 [1, 3, 4, 7]. Investigations found the operator committed serious safety violations including inconsistent mine blueprints and unregistered workers underground [1, 3, 7]. Carbon monoxide sensor alarms had been triggered before the explosion, signaling the presence of toxic gas in the tunnels [2, 8, 4].

Senior Shanxi officials visited the site on May 23 to oversee the rescue and stress the need for safety reforms [9]. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang called for a thorough investigation and accountability [3, 10, 4, 7, 9]. Chen Xiangyang, mayor of nearby Changzhi, expressed deep sorrow and apology on behalf of the local government, stating: "We feel extremely pained and sincerely apologize to all victims' families and those injured" [5]. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said, "We mourn those who died and express sincere condolences to victims and families. Taiwan is willing to provide humanitarian assistance if needed" [11]. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also conveyed her condolences [12].

The accident is the deadliest coal mine disaster in China in 17 years [1, 4, 7, 6]. Some public suspicion arose about early underreporting of casualties due to chaotic site conditions [7, 5]. The county of Qinyuan, where the mine is located, is a quiet area heavily reliant on coal mining [6]. On the morning after the explosion, an unrelated carbon monoxide poisoning incident at a lime kiln in Jiang county, Shanxi killed 1 and injured 5 [8].

Authorities continue rescue operations and investigations into the disaster, with hopes to locate the two missing miners [7, 5, 6].