{"id":25181,"date":"2023-11-16T14:41:13","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T14:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/death-toll-in-china-coal-firm-office-rises-to-26-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-16T14:41:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T14:41:13","slug":"death-toll-in-china-coal-firm-office-rises-to-26-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/death-toll-in-china-coal-firm-office-rises-to-26-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Death toll in China coal firm office rises to 26 | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nBEIJING:
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A fire that erupted in the office of a coal company in northern China has killed 26 people, state media said on Thursday, raising the death toll for the latest in a series of deadly accidents in the coal industry.<\/p>\n

President Xi Jinping, on a trip to the United States, urged the authorities to ensure more safety measures are put in place to avoid such incidents, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.<\/p>\n

At least 38 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out at 6:50 a.m. (2250 GMT Wednesday) at the four-storey Yongju Coal Industry Joint Building in the country’s top coal-producing hub of Shanxi. Calls to the company were not answered.<\/p>\n

State broadcaster CCTV initially reported that the fire had killed 11 people and injured at least 51.<\/p>\n

All mining firms in Lishi district, where the accident occurred, were asked to suspend production, state media reported, citing local emergency management bureau.<\/p>\n

Read<\/strong> also:\u00a0Beijing hospital fire death toll rises to 29<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Police have detained several people for questioning, CCTV said, adding that the cause of the blaze was being investigated.<\/p>\n

China’s State Council has dispatched a team to the scene to guide the rescue and emergency response work, CCTV said.<\/p>\n

China’s coal producers are under scrutiny for a series of accidents in mines in recent months, which has weighed on production as mines stop work for safety inspections.<\/p>\n

In April, 29 people were killed as a fire ripped through a hospital in Beijing, leading to criticism of local authorities on social media sites.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n