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Factbox-Some of China’s deadliest coal mine accidents

By Thomson Reuters May 23, 2026 | 4:32 AM

SHANGHAI, May 23 (Reuters) – A gas explosion at Liushenyu coal mine in China’s northern Shanxi province late on Friday killed at least ​90 people, making it China’s worst coal ‌mine disaster in over 16 years.

Here is a timeline of major coal mining disasters in China:

1950

• A mine accident at the Yiluo Mine in Henan province killed at ‌least ​174 people.

1960

• A methane explosion ⁠at the Laobaidong Coal ⁠Mine in Shanxi province killed 684 people.

1991

• A gas explosion at the Sanjiao River coal mine in Shanxi province killed 147 people.

2000

• A ​gas explosion at the Muchonggou Coal Mine in Guizhou province, killed 162 people.

2004

• A gas ⁠explosion at the Daping Coal ⁠Mine in Xinmi, Henan province, killed ​148 people.

• A gas explosion at the Chenjiashan Coal ​Mine in Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, killed 166 people.

2005

• ‌A gas explosion at the Sunjiawan colliery of state-owned Fuxin Coal Industry Group in Liaoning province killed 214 people.

• A flood at the Daxing ⁠Mine in Guangdong province killed 123 people.

• An explosion at the Dongfeng Coal Mine in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province, ⁠killed around 170 ‌people.

2007

• Heavy rains flooded two mines ⁠in Shandong province, killing 181 people.

2009

• ​A ‌gas explosion at the Xinxing Mine ​in Heilongjiang ⁠province killed 108 people.

2026

• A gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province killed at least 90 miners, making it China’s deadliest coal mine disaster since 2009.

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by ​Susan Fenton)