Coal Mine Explosion in China Kills at Least 90

A gas explosion at the Liushenju coal mine in Shanxi province, northern China, late on Friday killed at least 90 people. At the time of the blast, 247 workers were underground.

President Xi Jinping urged authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and carrying out search and rescue operations, and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

Shanxi province is China's coal mining heartland. The country is the world's largest consumer of coal. Safety in Chinese mines has improved over recent decades, but accidents remain relatively frequent due to inadequate safety regulations.

(reuters, xinhua, sak)