On May 22nd at 7:29 pm, a gas explosion occurred underground at the Shen Yu Coal Mine, Shanxi Tongzhou Group, in Shanxi Qin Yuan County, LongZhi City, Shanxi. The accident has resulted in the deaths of 90 people, and rescue operations are still underway. Survivors recount the harrowing details of the accident, describing how the shockwave “flipped over” people, with some running through tunnels for 2 hours to escape.
According to reports from mainland official media, the gas explosion incident at the Shen Yu Coal Mine operated by Shanxi Tongzhou Group, located in Qin Yuan County, LongZhi City, Shanxi, occurred at 7:29 p.m. on May 22nd. As of the evening of the 23rd, official sources confirmed that the accident has claimed the lives of 90 individuals.
It has been reported that the rescue personnel at the Shen Yu Coal Mine had to search the tunnels one by one as the blueprint provided by the mine did not match the actual layout.
On the afternoon of the 23rd, Red Star News reported that a worker at the involved coal mine mentioned that he was working on the surface when he heard an explosion sound coming from the pithead, and stated that “something sprayed out.”
The worker mentioned that it was during his mid-shift when the incident occurred. Upon hearing the explosion, he tried to contact the personnel underground via internal phones but couldn’t get through. He descended into the mine with two self-rescue devices and several bottles of mineral water. Upon reaching the areas inside the mine, he noticed a strange smell with people lying around.
The individual stated that his working area was more than 4,000 meters away from the pithead, requiring a ride on three mine cars followed by a walk of over 1,000 meters. However, due to the incident, the mine cars were inaccessible, forcing him to walk. He mentioned that some personnel at his work area were unconscious, and their conditions were unclear with some being assisted out while others were carried out on stretchers and then taken to ambulances.
One of the workers who was rescued while working underground during the incident described how he was closer to the pithead at his work area. Upon hearing a loud noise, he was overturned by the shockwave, lost consciousness after smelling a foul odor, and likened the experience to the sensation when they carry out explosive activities in the mine, referencing the shockwave blowing them over and the unpleasant smell of dust.
Reportedly, Qin Yuan County People’s Hospital is currently treating a total of 27 patients, with one in critical condition and 26 sustaining minor injuries. Doctors have noted that the injuries were primarily due to exposure to toxic gas.
Workers entering the Shen Yu Coal Mine are required to register and carry a personal locator card. However, some underground workers failed to bring their cards, leading to struggles in identifying their locations. Chinese media have attributed the significant casualties of this incident to the extreme dangers of gas explosions, noting the terrifying impact of shockwaves in enclosed spaces.
Statistics indicate that the shockwaves from gas explosions can travel several hundred meters per second, causing severe blast injuries, potential collapse of tunnel rocks leading to crush injuries, and temperatures reaching thousands of degrees Celsius. Additionally, once carbon monoxide explodes, the sudden decrease in oxygen levels can lead to suffocation. The generation of a large amount of toxic gases also poses a serious threat to the safety of underground personnel. Such perilous explosions occur in a matter of seconds, leaving very limited time for evacuation.
China Central Television reported that a mine accident survivor, Liu Sijie, mentioned hearing a horn-like broadcast and shouting during the incident. Upon hearing the sounds, they immediately began to evacuate. Due to the high coal dust levels and poor visibility in the tunnels, they struggled to breathe and navigate but managed to run in the right direction for about ten minutes. As they continued running, their consciousness began to blur, heightening their fear during the nearly two-hour escape.
It is known that Zhang Guoqing, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council in charge of production safety, rushed to the scene of the gas explosion accident at the coal mine in Qin Yuan County, Shanxi, LongZhi City, to oversee emergency response operations. However, after mine accidents in China, it is rare for senior officials in the Communist Party to take responsibility.