Eight Dead and Dozens Trapped after Coal Mine Explosion in China

SadaNews - At least eight workers have been killed and dozens are trapped underground following a gas explosion in a coal mine in northern China, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Saturday morning.

The official news agency stated that the "explosion occurred at 19:29 (11:29 GMT) on Friday at the Liushiniao coal mine in Shanxi Province."

It added that 247 workers were underground at the time, and 201 of them were brought to the surface by 6 AM Saturday.

Eight workers' deaths have been confirmed, while 38 remain trapped underground, as reported by the agency citing the local emergency management.

President Xi Jinping has called for "every effort" to treat the injured and for comprehensive investigations into the incident, according to the Chinese news agency.

He also "stressed the need for all regions and departments to learn lessons from this incident and to remain vigilant regarding workplace safety."

Rescue efforts are ongoing while "the cause of the incident is under investigation," according to Xinhua.

Shanxi Province is known as the coal mining capital of China.

China is the world's largest consumer of coal and the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, despite rapidly increasing its renewable energy capacity.

Mine safety in China has improved in recent decades, but accidents still occur frequently in a sector where safety protocols are often lax.