Sri Lanka, May 23 -- The death toll from a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China's Shanxi province has jumped to at least 82, state media reported on Saturday (May 23), with nine still missing.

The gas explosion occurred late on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county, with 247 workers on duty underground, Xinhua reported earlier in the day.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, while ordering a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law.

Premier Li Qiang echoed the instructions, calling for timely and accurate release of information and rigorous acc...