According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, the explosion triggered a massive rescue operation, with multiple agencies working to locate and save those trapped underground.

Rescue efforts remain underway, though it is still unclear how many miners may still be trapped inside the mine.

A total of 123 people were rushed to hospitals for treatment, including two in critical condition and two in serious condition. Another 33 people were treated and later discharged, Xinhua reported.

The country’s emergency management bureau said the individuals responsible for the company operating the mine have been placed under legal control as authorities investigate the cause of the blast.

Local media reports said 247 people were inside the mine when the explosion occurred.

The disaster is being described as one of China’s worst coal mine accidents in recent decades.

Following the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered that no effort be spared in searching for survivors and providing urgent medical treatment to the injured, according to the BBC.

The accident occurred in Shanxi, widely regarded as China’s coal-mining heartland.

China has witnessed several major mining disasters in recent years. In 2023, a collapse at an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia killed 53 people.