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Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged emergency responders to double down on rescue efforts after a gas explosion in a coal mine in northern China on Friday killed at least 90 people.
The blast occurred underground at around 7:30 pm at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, China’s Xinhua state news agency reported.
The death toll rose rapidly on Saturday, with at least 82 people now reported to have died following the explosion, whilst nine others remain trapped. Xinhua said 247 workers had been underground at the time.
Xi has called for an “all-out rescue of the missing and treatment of the injured,” as well as an investigation into the incident, per Xinhua. It added that a person “responsible for” the company involved in the explosion has been “placed under control in accordance with the law”.
Six emergency rescue teams consisting of 345 personnel have since been sent to the scene, the outlet said on Saturday.
A person “responsible for the company involved” in the explosion has also been “placed under control in accordance with the law,” it added.