All-out treatment ongoing after north China coal mine accide

TAIYUAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- All-out efforts have been made to treat the injured, while rescue and emergency response operations are ongoing, following a deadly gas explosion at the Liushenyu coal mine in north China's Shanxi Province.

The explosion on Friday has left 82 dead and two missing, according to local authorities. Altogether 128 people are receiving treatment at hospitals, including two in critical condition and another two in serious condition.

The two critically injured patients are showing signs of improvement after timely treatment in the ICU of Heping Hospital affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, said Guo Yan, a member of the provincial expert medical team.

One of them was removed from mechanical ventilation on Sunday morning, with various signs remaining relatively stable. The other patient is also in a more stable condition compared with the previous day.

The two patients seriously injured are now in stable condition too, and remain under close observation, said Hu Wenqing, Party secretary of Changzhi People's Hospital, where the two are receiving treatment.

Doctors from top-tier hospitals in Beijing also joined the treatment efforts, including by providing online consultation and arriving on site to help assess patients' conditions and refine treatment plans, according to Hu.

Xinhua reporters learned that the four severely injured patients have each been assigned dedicated medical teams and personalized treatment plans.

The other 124 patients with minor injuries are being treated in seven hospitals across the city. Most had symptoms like dizziness, fatigue and chest tightness but said their symptoms had eased after treatment.

Song Yueping, a 59-year-old mildly injured coal miner, told Xinhua that he was feeling much better after treatment at hospitals.

Shanxi has also dispatched 10 professionals to provide mental counseling to the injured under the instruction of the National Health Commission.

The minor injured are generally in stable mental condition after the initial round of assessment, said Song Jie, a psychiatrist and a member of the mental support team, adding that targeted observation will be carried out with continuous follow-up intervention.