Death Toll In China Coal Mine Gas Explosion Rises To 82

The death toll rose to 82 following a coal mine accident in Qinyuan County, north China's Shanxi Province, AzerNEWS reports, citing Xinhua.

Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing at the scene of the accident.

The explosion occurred on the evening of May 22 in the Qingyuan district of Shanxi Province.

A team of 400 to 500 people were conducting underground rescue work, the Emergency Management Bureau of Qinyuan county, where the mine is located, told CNN. Province-level leaders have also arrived at the scene, it added.

Emergency response teams remain deployed at the site, as efforts continue to rescue the missing workers, and assess the full extent of the tragedy.

An investigation has also been launched into the disaster.

Coal is a major source of energy in China despite efforts in recent years to wean off the fossil fuel, and Shanxi is a top-producing province, accounting more than a quarter of the country's coal.

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