“Reporters learned from the scene of the gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine of the Tongzhou Group in Shanxi Province that the accident has resulted in 82 deaths,” state news agency Xinhua said.The blast happened at 19:29 local time on Friday (11:29 GMT) at a coal mine in Shanxi, with 247 workers reportedly on duty at the time of the incident.

Rescue operations at the site are under way. Following the incident, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for no effort to be spared in efforts to treat the injured and search for survivors. He also asked the government to investigate the cause of the accident and hold those responsible to account. Officials running the coal mine have been detained, according to state media. The cause of the gas explosion has not yet been revealed.In the early 2000s, deadly accidents were common in China’s coal mining industry, but in recent years, safety standards have been tightened.China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has sent 345 personnel from six rescue teams to help with the operation.

Footage from state media shows large number of rescuers including paramedics arriving where the incident happened.