Shanxi mine-safety officials placed under investigation after Liushenyu coal mine blast killed 82; casualty figures changed repeatedly in first hours

A gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan County, Shanxi, on 22 May 2026 killed 82 people, left 2 missing and injured 128. Reporting on 23 May moved from 4 and then 8 deaths to 82 within hours, which Chinese commentators questioned; authorities said the mine's miscount of workers underground made the first figures inaccurate.