82 killed in coal mine blast in China’s Shanxi; rescue operation underway

A devastating gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has left at least 82 people dead, marking one of the country’s deadliest mining disasters in recent years. The explosion took place late Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, where 247 workers were reportedly underground at the time of the incident, Reuters reported. Chinese state media Xinhua initially reported a much lower death toll earlier in the day, saying that more than 200 workers had been safely brought to the surface. However, by Saturday evening, authorities confirmed that the number of deaths had sharply…