Xi Calls for All-Out Rescue After Coal Mine Explosion Kills Over 80 in China

China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, called Saturday for a redoubled rescue mission in northern China after a gas explosion in a mine there killed more than 80 people and left others trapped underground, the Chinese state news agency said.

Xi “stressed the need to make every effort to treat the injured, organize search and rescue operations scientifically and properly handle the aftermath,” the agency, Xinhua, reported. He also called for an investigation into the explosion, which happened Friday night, and emphasized the need to “hold those responsible to account, according to the law.”

Xi’s decision to quickly, and personally, issue a statement may indicate that Chinese officials expected the situation to worsen. The death count rose drastically Saturday, reaching at least 82 after an initial report of eight.

When the explosion occurred Friday night, at the Liushenyu coal mine in Shanxi province, 247 workers were underground. As of Saturday morning, the cause of the explosion was still unknown, according to CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster.