️ At least eight people have been killed and dozens remain trapped underground following a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, state media reported Saturday. President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out rescue effort.

️ The blast occurred at 7:29 pm local time on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, Shanxi province — one of China's poorer regions. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, 247 workers were underground at the time of the explosion.

️ By early Saturday, 201 people had been brought safely to the surface, including the eight confirmed dead. Rescue operations are ongoing. Xinhua earlier reported that carbon monoxide levels had exceeded limits at the mine and that some of those still trapped were in critical condition.

️ President Xi Jinping urged authorities to 'spare no effort' in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, according to Xinhua. He also ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and strict legal accountability.

️ Xi stressed that 'all regions and departments must draw lessons from this accident, remain constantly vigilant regarding workplace safety... and resolutely prevent and curb the occurrence of major and catastrophic accidents.'

️ Mine safety in China has improved in recent decades, but accidents remain frequent in an industry where safety protocols are often lax.

Source: www.dw.com