RESCUERS in northern China were still searching for survivors today after one of the country’s deadliest coal mine explosions killed at least 82 people.

The blast occurred on Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in the province of Shanxi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a thorough investigation and accountability of those responsible.

Two were missing and dozens of miners were hospitalised, local officials said late on Saturday at a news conference.

Some hospitalised miners recalled seeing smoke when the accident happened and blacking out, according to state media reports.

The coal mine has “seriously” violated the law, according to local officials, although they did not elaborate on the specific violations.

Chinese broadcaster CCTV earlier reported that blueprints provided by the Liushenyu coal mine did not match the actual layout, which hampered rescue efforts.

The Xinhua News Agency said those responsible for the company behind the mine accident had been “placed under control.”

Local authorities said following the accident that there would be a “comprehensive, blanket” inspection of the coal-mining sector that would include checks of coal mines’ gas drainage, ventilation, safety monitoring systems and their underground layouts.

The inland Shanxi province, located south-west of capital Beijing, with a population of around 34 million, is China’s main coal-mining province where hundreds of thousands of miners work.

A broader inspection of coal mines could put pressure on the province’s ability to produce its annual capacity of around 1.3 billion tons of coal, which accounts for nearly a third of China’s total.

Coal remains a major energy source in China, given its high availability and low cost, even as the country leads the world in the transition to green energy.

China has implemented strict measures in recent years to improve safety in mines.