Beijing, May 25:
Authorities in northern China were investigating a coal mine operator with a focus on safety lapses, as rescuers searched for those missing in the country’s deadliest coal mine explosion in recent years that killed at least 82 people.
Hundreds of emergency responders and medical personnel were sent to help with rescue efforts, state media reported. Rescuers were taking turns to go down the mine shaft, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, facing hurdles including flooded tunnels.
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a thorough investigation and accountability of those responsible following the explosion on Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in the northern province of Shanxi.
Two were missing, and dozens of miners were hospitalised, local officials said late Saturday. The death toll was revised down from 90, with officials blaming “chaotic” scenes in the aftermath and inaccurate information provided by the mine operator as a reason.