On May 23, 2026, a gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province, China, tragically killed at least 90 miners, marking it as the most catastrophic coal mining disaster in over 16 years. This incident adds to a long history of deadly mining accidents in the country, which has faced significant challenges in ensuring coal mine safety. A timeline of major coal mining disasters reveals a series of tragic events, starting with the 1950 Yiluo Mine accident in Henan province, which resulted in 174 fatalities. The 1960 methane explosion at the Laobaidong Coal Mine remains the deadliest incident, claiming 684 lives. Other notable disasters include the 2005 Sunjiawan colliery explosion in Liaoning province, which killed 214 miners, and the 2007 flooding of two mines in Shandong province that resulted in 181 deaths. The repeated occurrence of such disasters underscores the persistent safety issues within China's coal mining sector, raising concerns about regulatory enforcement and worker safety.