Beijing [China], May 24: At least 90 people have been killed in a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, state media reported on Saturday, in what likely marks one of the worst mining accidents in the country in more than a decade.
It was unclear how many people remain trapped inside the mine in Shanxi Province, to the south-west of Beijing.
Rescue efforts continued more than 20 hours after the explosion on Friday evening, with some 750 emergency workers deployed to the site in Qinyuan County, according to state media reports.
Many questions surrounding the disaster remain unanswered.
Earlier on Saturday, authorities had said that 201 people had been brought out of the mine, including eight confirmed dead. It was unclear why the death toll was later revised sharply upwards. Most of those hospitalized following the explosion were exposed to toxic gases.
Source: Qatar Tribune
