82 people were killed in an explosion in a coal mine in Shaanxi Province, north of China, according to what official media announced in the latest casualty statistics. Chinese President Xi Jinping directed the intensification of relief and rescue efforts, following a gas explosion in the mine. The official Chinese agency (Xinhua) explained that the accident occurred late on Friday night, inside the “Liushinyu” mine in the Qinyuan sector, at a time when 247 workers were present to carry out their duties underground. Xi urged the relevant authorities to "exert their utmost efforts" to treat the wounded and continue search and rescue operations, calling for the opening of an expanded investigation to determine the causes of the incident and to activate serious accountability in accordance with the legal systems. For his part, Prime Minister Li Qiang reaffirmed these directives, calling for the necessity of announcing the data accurately and transparently on the appropriate dates, while adhering to the principle of strict accountability. By Saturday morning, official media sources reported a confirmed increase in the number of dead, reaching 82 dead. The Local Emergency Directorate in the Qin Yuan region indicated that field rescue work was continuing, in conjunction with continuing investigations to uncover all the facts and circumstances of the accident.