INDIA PERSPECTIVE

New Delhi closely monitored the catastrophe that struck the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi Province on Friday, May 23, 2026. The following day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a message of condolences on the X platform, addressed to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese people: "Deeply pained by the loss of lives in the coal mine accident in Shanxi Province. On behalf of the Indian people, my condolences to President Xi Jinping and the people of China." He added: "May the bereaved families find strength in this tragic hour. I pray for the swift and full recovery of all those still reported missing." This diplomatic gesture, reported as the lead story by the Times of India, underscores New Delhi's commitment to maintaining an open communication channel with Beijing despite persistent tensions between the two neighbors.

On the factual front, Indian press methodically reconstructed the sequence of the tragedy. The methane gas explosion occurred at 7:29 p.m. local time, when 247 miners were underground at the mine operated by Tongzhou Group in Changzhi. The death toll climbed dramatically: Chinese authorities initially reported four deaths overnight, then the figure jumped to 82, and ultimately to at least 90 victims as rescue operations proceeded. Some 123 injured were hospitalized, including four in critical or serious condition. A total of 755 emergency and medical personnel were deployed to the site.

The account from survivor miner Wang Yong, recorded by state broadcaster CCTV and picked up by the Times of India, provides a stark image of the accident: a "plume of smoke," the smell of sulfur, then workers choking before he lost consciousness. "I lay there for about an hour and woke up on my own. I called to people next to me and we exited the mine together," he recounted.

Indian coverage also placed the event within a historical framework, with NDTV publishing a summary of China's worst coal mining disasters since 1950. This framing recalls that Beijing has indeed reduced mining-related deaths over the decades, yet serious accidents remain recurring. The Shanxi explosion is presented as the deadliest in China in 17 years, surpassing the collapse of an open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia that killed 53 people in 2023.

Chinese authorities announced a nationwide "crackdown" on illegal mining operations following the disaster, and President Xi Jinping demanded maximum effort for rescue and a thorough investigation to identify those responsible. Company executives from the operating firm were taken into custody, according to state media.