Shanxi Coal Mine Death Toll Revised to 82, Operators Detain Executives
BTU•Chinese authorities revised the death toll at Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi to 82 from 90 after a gas explosion injured 128 and left two workers missing. Operators Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group have shut all four mines and detained executives pending investigation.
1. Revised Death Toll and Casualties
Authorities updated the Liushenyu mine gas explosion fatality count to 82 from 90, with 128 workers hospitalized, two still missing, and 35 escaping uninjured out of 247 underground at the time of the blast.
2. Mine Operator Shutdowns and Executive Detentions
Shanxi Tongzhou Coal Coking Group has shut all four of its mines and detained several executives pending an investigation, while President Xi directed expanded search and rescue efforts and inquiry into the accident's cause.
3. Production Capacity and Safety Scrutiny
The Liushenyu mine's annual production is 1.2 million metric tons; the disaster, the deadliest since 2009, is expected to prompt stricter safety regulations across China's coal sector, which produced 4.83 billion metric tons last year.
