Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov expressed condolences following a gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi province, China, which resulted in the deaths of at least 82 individuals. In telegrams to Chinese President Xi Jinping, both leaders conveyed their support to the bereaved families and wished for the swift recovery of those injured.

According to Anadolu Agency, Putin requested that his sympathy and support be extended to the families of the deceased and his best wishes for the recovery of the injured. The Kremlin reported his sentiments. Similarly, Zhaparov expressed his sorrow over the tragic event and, on behalf of the Kyrgyz Republic, conveyed sincere condolences to the victims' families, as per the Kyrgyz presidential press service.

The explosion took place at the Liushenyu coal mine in Qinyuan county on Friday evening. At the time of the incident, 247 workers were underground, as reported by Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Rescue operations are ongoing, and emergency response teams are still at the site to locate missing workers and assess the disaster's impact. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the explosion.