Breaking News Live Updates, May 23: Fire breaks out at Noida building after AC explosion

A gas explosion at a coal mine in China’s northern province of Shanxi killed at least eight people and trapped 38 underground, state media reported Saturday. The accident at Changzhi city’s Liushenyu coal mine happened Friday evening, according to official news agency Xinhua, which reported around 247 workers were underground at the time. As of early Saturday, 201 had been brought safely to the surface.

The cause of the explosion was under investigation, Xinhua reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out effort to rescue the missing and an investigation of the accident's cause while holding those responsible accountable, according to Xinhua.

Shanxi province is known as China’s main coal mining province. With a size larger than Greece and a population of around 34 million, the province's hundreds of thousands of miners dug 1.3 billion tons (1.17 billion metric tons) of coal last year, or almost a third of China’s total.

A 31-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by unidentified assailants while sleeping at an ash-packing warehouse in the Ghazipur area early Friday, police said.

The deceased, identified as Yogesh Kumar, a native of Bihar, worked as a contractor at the warehouse. Police said an FIR has been registered at Dabua police station and further investigation is underway.

"A bus travelling from Ghazipur to Buxar was carrying passengers who were heading to Buxar railway station to board a train. There was a traffic jam on the way and a pond beside the road. In an attempt to take a shortcut, the driver lost control and the bus fell into the pond. As of now, one death has been confirmed. Around 30 to 35 people were travelling on the bus. Search operations are still underway. All injured passengers have been referred to the district hospital, where proper treatment is being provided. We are continuously monitoring the situation and speaking to the affected people. Law and order is completely under control and there is no disturbance anywhere," said Ghazipur DM Anupam Shukla.