India, May 23 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reached out to his Chinese counterpart following a catastrophic gas explosion in Shanxi Province that claimed at least 90 lives, marking a moment of rare diplomatic outreach.

In a post on X, PM Modi expressed his "deep sorrow" over the horrific coal mine disaster in China's Shanxi Province, the deadliest to occur in recent years. The tragedy, which occurred late Friday, resulted in the confirmed deaths of at least 90 miners, with rescue efforts currently scrambling to account for those still missing.

Prime Minister Modi conveyed his heartfelt condolences to President Xi Jinping and the people of China, describing the loss of life as "deeply saddening." The outreach comes as autho...