In Shanxi province in northern China there was an explosion at a coal mine, according to the latest data, 90 people were killed, the country’s state media reported.
The gas explosion occurred late in the evening of 22 May, at that moment 247 people were underground.
The search and rescue operation continues, 755 people are taking part in it: rescuers and medics.
The current explosion is considered the largest mine disaster in China since 2009, when 108 people died because of an accident at a mine in the north-eastern province of Heilongjiang.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all efforts to help victims and search for survivors, and ordered a thorough investigation into the causes of the accident and prosecute those responsible, Xinhua reported. Executives of the company responsible for the mine have been detained.
Shanxi, one of China’s poorest provinces, is the centre of the country’s coal industry.
Since the early 2000s, China has significantly reduced the number of coal mine deaths, often caused by gas explosions or floods, thanks to stricter regulations.