At least 90 people have been killed in a powerful explosion at a coal mine in northern China, state media reported, as cited by BBC News.

The blast occurred at the Liushenyu coal mine operated by Tongzhou Group in Shanxi province on Friday at 19:29 local time (16:29 Tashkent time). A total of 247 miners were underground at the time of the incident.

Hundreds of rescuers have been dispatched to the scene. China's Ministry of Emergency Management sent an additional 345 personnel from six rescue teams to assist.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to treat the injured and search for survivors. He also demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the disaster and punishment for those responsible.

According to state media, officials in charge of the mine have been detained. The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear, but state media reported that levels of carbon monoxide, a highly toxic and odorless gas, exceeded safety limits.

Deadly accidents were common in China's coal industry in the early 2000s, but safety standards have been tightened in recent years, BBC notes.

Source: www.gazeta.uz