A gas explosion at a coal mine in Shanxi province, China, has resulted in at least 82 deaths, marking one of the deadliest mining accidents in recent years, with ongoing rescue efforts and investigations into violations.

When the suburban home near Hayward exploded in a fiery blast after a PG&E gas leak in December, resident Jesus Duenas “fell into the basement of the house and saw a red-hot pipe explode,” according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday claiming PG&E falsely claimed to federal investigators that before the explosion it tried to warn neighborhood residents of the leak.

A Bay Area law firm, Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, initiated legal proceedings against Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Alameda County, and additional named entities, representing the Duneas family whose Ashland residence was destroyed in a December 2025 gas explosion.

Evacuation orders were issued to 40,000 Orange County residents. A fire official said a major spill or an explosion were the only expected outcomes.

More than 90 people have died in a gas explosion in a coal mine in northern China, the worst mining disaster in the country since 2009.