Rescuers gather at the Liushenyu coal mine, Qinyuan County, Shanxi Province, north China, on May 23, 2026. /VCG
All-out rescues are still underway to reach the two miners who remained unaccounted for following a deadly coal mine accident in north China's Shanxi Province.
The province has sent 755 people including rescuers and medical personnel to the site. The Ministry of Emergency Management earlier said it had dispatched six national mine emergency rescue teams, totaling 345 people, to assist rescue efforts.
In the early morning of Sunday, reconnaissance robots were deployed to expand the search range.
A gas explosion hit the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County at 7:29 p.m. on Friday. A total of 82 people were confirmed dead and two remained missing, said Chen Xiangyang, mayor of Changzhi, at a press conference held on Saturday night.
A total of 128 people are receiving treatment at hospitals, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition, according to Chen.
Officials at the press conference attributed the initial inaccurate figures to chaos at the scene and the company's failure to provide an accurate headcount of workers on duty.
Toxic and harmful gases under the mine shaft have exceeded safe limits for a long time, posing a risk of secondary disasters.
The company involved in the coal mine explosion was found to have made "serious violations of laws." Those responsible for running the company have been placed under control and the company's coal mines have ceased production to conduct a safety overhaul, said the mayor.
(With input from Xinhua)
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