What caused the China coal mine blast that killed over 80 workers?

At least 82 died, and nine are missing after a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Changzhi, China—one of the country’s deadliest mining accidents in a decade. Hundreds of workers were trapped underground, according to the South China Morning Post. A major rescue operation was ordered by President Xi Jinping. The blast took place on Friday in Qinyuan County, around 520 km southwest of Beijing, shortly after the mine reportedly issued a carbon monoxide alert. As many as 247 workers were underground at the time of the explosion. “Make every effort” to locate the missing workers and ensure…