At least 82 people have been killed and two are missing after a coal mine blast in northern China, officials have said.
Rescue officials revised down the death toll in an update late on Saturday, having earlier said at least 90 people had died.
The gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province is the worst mining disaster in China since 2009.
There were 247 workers reportedly on duty when the blast happened at 19:29 local time (11:29 GMT) on Friday, with more than 100 people said to be saved and hundreds of rescuers sent to the site.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said no effort must be spared in efforts to treat the injured and search for survivors.
The country’s state council later said a “rigorous” investigation would be conducted and those found responsible would be “severely punished”.
Officials apologised for the confusion over the death toll, saying the situation was chaotic at the beginning which led to an unclear headcount and an incorrect figure.
They said that 128 people were being treated in hospitals, including two in critical condition.
Most were affected after inhaling poisonous gas, according to state media, though it is not clear what type of gas it was.
Wang Yong, an injured miner, told state media that when the incident happened, he did not hear a sound but saw a sudden plume of smoke.
“I smelled sulphur, the same smell you get from blasting. I shouted at people to run. As we were running I could see people collapsing from the fumes. Then I blacked out too,” he said.
“I lay there for about an hour or so before I came round on my own. I woke up the person next to me and we got out together.”
Some of the management team at the mine have reportedly been detained. The cause of the gas explosion has not yet been revealed, but state media reported that the levels of carbon monoxide – a highly toxic, odourless gas – in the mine were found to have “exceeded limits”.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 345 personnel from six rescue teams to help with the operation.
State media said the rescue operation had encountered difficulties as water has built up near the explosion site, preventing access to certain areas, while blueprints provided by the mine did not match the actual conditions. (BBC)
