A new UN study has named Hong Kong’s data centres as some of the most carbon-intensive in the world, blaming the city’s heavy dependence on a fossil-fuel-powered energy grid.

The report, titled “Environmental Cost of AI’s Energy Use,” examined the global carbon, land and water impacts of the infrastructure powering AI, saying that by 2030, data centres could consume 945 terawatt-hours.

That is “nearly triple the combined annual electricity use of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, countries collectively home to more than 650 million people,” according to a UN press release.

“Indonesia, India, and Hong Kong (SAR) are among the most carbon-intensive grids with carbon footprints 62%, 51%, and 43% higher than the global average, respectively. Poland and Mainland China rank lower with carbon intensities at 30% and 21% higher than the global average,” the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health said in a report on Wednesday.

In comparison, the carbon footprint of electricity in the US, Germany, and Italy is 18 per cent, 24 per cent, and 32 per cent below the global average, respectively.

Energy in Hong Kong is 67 per cent derived from fossil fuels, 32 per cent from nuclear and just 1 per cent from renewables, the report said.

There is also a water footprint for cooling heat-intensive data centres, as well as a land footprint. “AI-related water consumption could equal the basic annual domestic needs of 1.3 billion people by the end of the decade, while its land footprint may exceed 14,500 square kilometres – roughly twice the size of the Jakarta metropolitan area,” the UN said.

However, Hong Kong was ranked among the lightest for water and land consumption, mostly because its energy mix does not rely on renewable energy sources, which require large amounts land.

As a trade and logistics hub, with around 300 internet service providers, Hong Kong remains a prime location for data centres. Its telecommunication networks connect to 12 external submarine optical fibre cable systems, with more under construction, according to the city’s Digital Policy Office.

The government is building a new 110,00 square metre data facility in Sandy Ridge, 90 per cent of which will be dedicated to data centres, according to a government press release in March.

Daily AI use, not training

The UN report said that day-to-day use of AI models accounted for around 80 to 90 per cent of total energy demand, as opposed to just model training. It cited the case of ChatGPT, which was processing around 2.5 billion prompts per day, with image generation requiring a thousand times more energy than a simple text query.

“China’s DeepSeek, launched in January 2025, attracted more than 20 million daily active users within three weeks, and had about 125 million monthly active users by mid-2025,” the report said.

According to the Digital Policy Office website, “data centre operators are all striving to enhance energy efficiency , so as to reduce their power consumption, their operating expense and also their environmental impacts.”

It cites existing policies by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), which set rules for ensuring the energy efficiency of buildings and regulate the use of fresh water in cooling towers for air conditioning systems.

The EMSD’s Green Data Centres Practice Guide lays out initiatives for efficient data centre design, procurement, operations and disposal, whilst also promoting the use of assessment tools to measure environmental impacts.

NGO Green Power has urged the Hong Kong government to better regulate ozone precursors as hot weather exacerbates air pollution across the city.

Chemical compounds – such as nitrogen oxides, methane, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and carbon monoxide – form ground-level ozone by reacting in the lower atmosphere in the presence of sunlight. Ground-level ozone attacks and inflames lung tissue, but reducing underlying pollutants prevents harmful smog.

According to a Sunday press release, Green Power’s director, Cheng Luk-ki, said VOCs – which are emitted through oil and gas operations, petrol evaporation and chemical solvents – should be better regulated.

See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters

“In the future, the public’s health may be affected by both high temperatures and air quality at the same time,” the press release said.

Last week, Hong Kong sweltered amid a days-long heatwave. Whilst rain brought some respite over the weekend, the Observatory predicts highs of 35 degrees Celsius by the end of this week.

Cooling measures for hottest areas

Green Power’s review of Hong Kong’s air quality situation in 2025 found that 15 air quality monitoring stations recorded “a total of 2,080 hours at High, Very High and Serious levels – collectively referred to as ‘High Risk (HR) hours.'”

See also: How Hong Kong’s elderly face deadly heat inside cramped cage homes

Cheng said Hong Kong was affected by a northern Chinese dust storm last April, pushing up the statistics. However, the NGO also noted that overall air quality has been improving thanks to the city’s diversification away from coal towards natural gas, as well as efforts to tighten emission standards for fuel-powered vehicles.

The director said he had analysed last summer’s Air Quality Health Index data, and found that the nine days ranked as “high risk” all saw temperatures exceeding 29 degrees Celsius, “demonstrating a strong connection between heat and air quality.”

He warned that hot weather will become more frequent, as he urged the authorities to take action in the territory’s hottest districts.

The NGO recommended cooling measures in Tuen Mun, Tai Po, North District, Yuen Long and Tung Chung, “such as increasing greenery coverage, revitalising local rivers, and incorporating more ventilation corridor designs.”

See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters

Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, research NGO Berkeley Earth says. Heat and humidity may reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, according to a 2023 study, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.

Hong Kong has issued its first “very hot weather” warning of the year, with the city expected to endure a heatwave through Friday.

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) issued the warning at 7.45am on Tuesday, with the mercury expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius.

The warning is triggered when the mercury is set to reach, or exceed, 33 degrees Celsius. As of around 1:30pm on Tuesday, Cheung Chau was seeing temperatures of 32.1 degrees Celsius.

The city recorded its hottest day of the year on Monday, as temperatures hit 32 degrees Celsius.

The HKO has alerted the public of the risks of heat stroke and sunburn.

The heatwave is expected to continue through to Friday, as an anticyclone aloft brings very hot weather and low pressure to the coast of Guangdong, according to the HKO.

Highs of 33 degrees Celsius are predicted between Tuesday and Friday, while the lows will range between 27 and 29 degrees.

Hong Kong may see showers during this weekend, as temperatures dip slightly to 26-30 degrees Celsius.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the intensity and frequency of heatwaves have continued to increase since the 1950s due to human-caused climate change. The prevalence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide – which trap heat in the atmosphere – raises the planet’s surface temperature, with hotter, longer heatwaves putting lives at risk.

See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters

Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, research NGO Berkeley Earth says. Heat and humidity may reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, according to a 2023 study, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.

In a Tuesday statement, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health reminded members of the public to hydrate regularly, and to avoid strenuous exercise and prolonged activities such as hiking.

It also suggested that outdoor or manual workers should reschedule work to cooler hours as far as possible.

Nevertheless, as of Tuesday lunchtime, the Labour Department had not yet issued a heat stress warning – a three-tier warning system introduced in 2023 to help protect Hong Kong workers from heatstroke. 

Outbound travel during long weekend

Hongkongers enjoyed a three-day weekend, with Monday marking Buddha’s Birthday.

According to the Immigration Department, Hong Kong residents made over 615,000 outbound journeys on Saturday, with over 557,000 travellers heading northbound to Shenzhen and other destinations in mainland China.

The figure marks a week-on-week increase of 36.7 per cent.

From Friday to Monday, Hong Kong residents made nearly 1.87 million outbound trips – a rise of 30.8 per cent compared to the same period last week.

Ten people have been injured on a flight between Brisbane, Australia and Hong Kong that encountered turbulence.

Cathay Pacific’s CX156 arrived in Hong Kong at 6.45am on Saturday, with medics boarding the plane to assess the condition of passengers and crew.

According to the flagship airline, four passengers and six cabin crew members sustained minor injuries, with eight sent to hospital.

“Medical personnel boarded the aircraft to assess the conditions of a small number of passengers and crew who reported feeling unwell, and they were provided with the utmost level of care,” a spokesperson for Cathay Pacific told HKFP on Tuesday. “We will continue to follow up and provide the necessary assistance. We are in the process of gathering more facts to better understand the circumstances, and it would not be appropriate to draw any premature conclusions at this stage.”

A video posted to social media appeared to show debris and food scattered across the floor of the aircraft.

Hongkongers sweated through the hottest day of the year on Friday, with the Observatory (HKO) recording a maximum temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius at its headquarters.

The mercury neared 37 degrees Celsius in the northern part of the territory.

Meanwhile, the Observatory noted 1,263 instances of cloud-to-ground lightning on Friday, and 4,859 cases of cloud-to-cloud lightning.

The city is now set to see nine days of rain, the weather service predicts.

See also: How Hong Kong’s elderly face deadly heat inside cramped cage homes

“A broad trough of low pressure will linger over the vicinity of the coast of southern China to the northern part of the South China Sea during the weekend to midweek next week,” the Observatory said.

The amber rainstorm warning was raised at 10am on Saturday as violent gusts swept into the territory, raising the risk of flooding.

See also: NGO warns hot weather can worsen air quality, urges gov’t action on pollutants and cooling measures in hot districts

Climate crisis

Friday marked the hottest “Grain in Ear” solar term ever documented. The ninth traditional solar term, known in Chinese as Mangzhong, signifies a period when awny crops like wheat are ready to harvest.

This week, environmental NGO Friends of the Earth urged the Hong Kong government to prioritise the climate crisis and strengthen its climate adaptation policies, with the city expected to endure an extremely hot summer.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the intensity and frequency of heatwaves have continued to increase since the 1950s due to human-caused climate change. The prevalence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide – which trap heat in the atmosphere – raises the planet’s surface temperature, with hotter, longer heatwaves putting lives at risk.

See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters

Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, research NGO Berkeley Earth says. Heat and humidity may reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, according to a 2023 study, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.

A Hong Kong couple have been arrested for child neglect after refusing to allow their baby boy, who was born without any medical record, to undergo a DNA test for birth registration.

Security minister Chris Tang told journalists on Tuesday afternoon that the couple, who said they were the parents of an infant named Danny, had been arrested in Cheung Sha Wan while the infant was sent to hospital for a health check.

Tang said the couple could not provide any medical records of the pregnancy or even a photo of the pregnancy to prove their parental relationship with the infant.

The baby had not had any medical check-ups since birth, which clearly constitutes child neglect, the security chief added.

The couple – identified by local media as Mr Tsang and Ms Kwan – caught widespread attention after they said online that the Swedish government had taken custody of their daughter, Lily, in 2023.

Saying they have not met their daughter since, the couple posted on their “Save Lily” Threads and Facebook accounts, appealing for the girl’s return to Hong Kong.

The couple said they practised “free births” and their baby boy was born in Hong Kong around two months ago.

Free birth, also called unassisted birth, involves a conscious decision to undergo pregnancy and give birth without professional maternity care or medical intervention. The trend has put the lives of mothers and babies at grave risk.

According to local media, the couple’s eldest daughter was born at home in Finland but died in infancy, and the Swedish government removed the second child, Lily, from their care due to health conditions.

In a written response to HK01, Linköping municipality in Sweden said that while it could not comment on a specific case, authorities would only apply to the court for a care order if the situation of a child was so severe that further protection was required and voluntary services were no longer sufficient to prevent harm to the child’s health or physical and mental development.

The infant Danny is yet to be registered in Hong Kong, although parents must register the birth of a newborn within 42 days of delivery. According to the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, it is a criminal offence for anyone to deliberately fail to register the birth of a child.

Speaking on Commercial Radio on Tuesday morning, Mr Tsang said he tried to register Danny’s birth within 42 days of delivery, but he did not want to submit DNA samples to authorities to verify the relationship between the couple and Danny.

Welfare minister Chris Sun told the press on Tuesday morning that authorities were aware of the case, but social workers could not find the couple after multiple attempts to visit them.

“We had been trying to contact the parents and family through various means since last Thursday. This included social workers making daily home visits – even waiting until nearly midnight on one occasion. We also tried to locate them at different times during the morning and afternoon, and left various contact details,” Sun said in Cantonese. “However, we were unable to reach them last week.”

Sun said social workers “established contact” with the couple only on Monday and tried to arrange a meeting with them.

Funds raised for a Hong Kong hairstylist who died from nasopharyngeal cancer in April will be donated to NGO Cancer Information, as per his wishes.

Two rounds of fundraising initiatives for Pitt Cheung raised a total of HK$831,000 for his specialist treatment, leaving a balance of over HK$140,000 after his passing in April.

The fundraiser said that Cheung had exhausted radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments at public hospitals, so he switched to a recommended chemotherapy drug called Nab-paclitaxel, costing HK$72,000 per month.

Cheung died peacefully in hospital on April 26. A funeral for the 44-year-old was held on May 9.

“After deduct[ing] the expenses for chemotherapy, follow-up appointments, check-ups, the chemo port surgery and hospitalisation, we are left with HK$140,620. Per Pitt’s wishes, we will donate this sum to NGO @cancer_information,” a post on Cheung’s fundraising Instagram account said on Sunday.

“This NGO provided lots of professional support and companionship to Pitt when he was fighting cancer, and we hope the funds can be used to help more people.”

The post thanked the Hong Kong United Oncology Centre, where he was cared for, as well as donors, friends and family who supported his journey.

Hong Kong’s welfare minister has defended what he called the “professional judgement” of medical and social workers following the death of a girl shortly after her mother’s.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun spoke to reporters on Thursday following a double tragedy involving a 12-year-old girl and her 48-year-old mother, who both fell to their deaths within hours of each other on Wednesday in Taikoo Shing.

“The daughter went to the hospital accompanied by her family” after her mother’s death, Sun said in Cantonese.

“At the hospital, doctors, nurses and social workers met with her, and they had to make a judgement. I understand that they decided [the girl] could go home.”

Sun said it was understandable that there were concerns about whether it was suitable to allow the girl to return home.

The daughter was accompanied by family members when she was assessed at the hospital and returned home, Sun added.

“I believe the doctors, nurses and social workers had made the decision [to let her go home] at that time based on their professional judgement.”

He said he refrained from commenting further as the police were investigating the double tragedy.

The mother, a social worker with the Social Welfare Department, was found dead on the podium of their residential block around 9.24am after she reportedly had an argument with her daughter about “educational issues,” according to local media.

At 7.21pm, roughly 10 hours later, police were notified of the fall of the daughter at the same address. The girl was certified dead at the scene.

Sun urged people to give the family space and respect their privacy at the moment of tragedy, saying that authorities sought to provide immediate support to the father and other family members.

Edward To, director of social welfare, said at the same press conference that government social workers had visited the father following the incident.

Bouquets were seen at the scene at Taikoo Shing following the tragedy, as residents paid tribute to the mother and daughter.

On a spring night in 2023, Fung Hon-shing was driving on Fei Ngo Shan Road in Sai Kung when he discovered over a hundred newts that had been run over by vehicles. Some had died, while some were on the brink of death.

The striking scene deeply moved Fung, prompting him to crowd-fund around HK$300,000 to make a documentary about the life cycle of the Hong Kong newt.

The 33-year-old is one of the few full-time ecological producers in Hong Kong, spending long hours in the countryside capturing footage of wild animals.

A graduate of the Department of Biology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Fung once worked as a research assistant studying the distribution and habits of the Hong Kong newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis).

But it was not the first time he had encountered the tailed amphibian.

“I have known the species since I was a child, when my parents brought me to hike in the mountains near my home,” Fung said. “I discovered that newts can live in different habitats like streams, ponds or even drains. The adaptability of the newt impressed me.”

The creature belongs to a species that was first thought to be endemic only to Hong Kong – hence the name – but was later also found in Guangdong province.

In 2023, Fung, along with several other ecological photographers and videographers, formed a team to spend a year filming this unique salamander. They successfully captured the complete life cycle of the newts underwater – including courtship, fighting, mating, egg-laying, hatching, foraging, and migration – and made it into a 10-minute film, titled: Life (cycle) of the Hong Kong Newt.

The documentary was shortlisted for multiple film festivals in Hong Kong and overseas. It won the 2024 Nature Film of the Year award at the Singapore Nature Film Festival. That same year, the short film was also exhibited at an art gallery in Sham Shui Po, bringing the life of the unique creature to a wider public.

The Hong Kong newt – the only tailed amphibian in Hong Kong – has a black or brown back, and bright orange spots on its belly to warn predators of its toxicity. The orange dots also act as a fingerprint, meaning no Hong Kong newts share an identical pattern.

The species is listed as “near threatened” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and protected under Hong Kong’s Wild Animals Protection Ordinance.

Juvenile newts live in streams. Every April, adult newts migrate to woodlands to avoid the rapid currents of the rainy season. Fei Ngo Shan Road is one of the obstacles they must cross.

Fung collaborated with Professor Anthony Lau, a wildlife ecologist at Lingnan University, to conduct a study called “Hong Kong Newt Roadkill Survey Project,” published in July last year. According to the research, at least 1,427 newts were run over by vehicles between March and May 2024, with 870 of those deaths occurring on Fei Ngo Shan Road.

“After the results of this survey were announced, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) contacted the Lingnan University team. Things are changing bit by bit, but the key is that it takes time,” Fung said.

In 2020, Fung and other wildlife filmmakers -Daphne Wong and James Kwok – founded Frigatefilms, which specialises in nature content. The production company mainly provides ecological filming and documentary services, collaborating with both the government and environmental organisations.

The producer describes his work as a way to atone for what humans have done to the environment, despite realising the impact of his projects may be limited.

“There is actually very little an individual can do in the face of climate change. Sometimes I make videos to explain why we need to conserve and why we should be more environmentally friendly, but as individuals, what we can do is rather limited,” he said.

Apart from the Hong Kong newt, Fung’s projects cover freshwater fish, frogs, birds, and more. However, ecological filming often means returning empty-handed, and one does not always capture the desired footage.

Last winter, after filming a whole flock of black-faced spoonbills foraging, Fung set out again at five the following morning. He was accompanied by an HKFP photojournalist, who began following him in April last year.

As it turned out, there was only one black-faced spoonbill along the same coastline, which failed to provide any usable footage.

Yet, Fung had a level-headed response to the unlucky outcome. He explained that the speed of the rising tide was completely different from the day before, making the water level at the spot too deep for the spoonbills to stand and forage comfortably, so the birds sought out another location.

Despite the unpredictability of his job, he savours every moment of it.

“I really enjoy filming in the wild,” he said. “For one thing, I get to set foot in many different countryside areas of Hong Kong, getting to know Hong Kong better and building many connections.

“Besides that, I can spend long periods in these habitats interacting with or waiting for species, which allows me to understand these creatures deeply. Finally, I can use images to explain the stories of these creatures to others and share them, so the filming process is quite enjoyable.”

Most people associate ecological documentaries with the African savannah, the Southeast Asian rainforests or the Arctic icy waters. However, Fung still wants to keep focusing on Hong Kong.

“I live in this place, and my daily observations and feelings all stem from Hong Kong’s ecology, so I want to use images to leave some records behind. It’s mainly a matter of emotional attachment rather than the diversity or uniqueness of the species,” Fung said.

“Because of the connection between this place and my own life, I want to try my best to capture more of the different facets of Hong Kong’s ecology.”

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority has suspended a trainee doctor and a resident physician after their alleged professional misconduct went viral on social media.

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the HA said that it had noticed some social media posts discussing an intern doctor’s alleged professional misconduct at different hospitals.

“The HA considers the matter extremely serious, affecting the professional image of healthcare staff,” the statement said.

The authority said it had reported to the police the suspected case of “someone who logged into the Clinical Management System at Caritas Medical Centre (CMC) with another person’s account and accessed patient records at Tuen Mun Hospital without authorisation.”

“The HA has immediately suspended the clinical duties of the intern doctor concerned and a resident doctor at Tuen Mun Hospital, and has also suspended their access right[s] to the system in order to protect patient and system security,” it said.

“The HA has notified the medical school of the relevant university to follow up on the intern doctor’s assessment of being fit for practice.”

According to the statement, before the suspensions, the HA had previously issued a serious warning to the trainee doctor for committing an inappropriate act during an internship at Ruttonjee Hospital and taken disciplinary action against the intern doctor and another resident doctor at CMC. 

It had also taken disciplinary action against the intern doctor and another resident doctor for misconduct at CMC.

The HA’s move comes after a trainee doctor, who published videos documenting her medical internship, allegedly used medical equipment without authorisation to X-ray her own knee and posted a photo of the procedure on social media.

She was also suspected of asking her boyfriend, a resident doctor at Tuen Mun Hospital, to come to Ruttonjee Hospital, where she was interning, to assist her with a medical procedure.

According to netizens, the intern doctor is a social media influencer known as Angel the Medic on YouTube and Instagram.

As of Thursday, all videos on the YouTube channel had disappeared, and the Instagram account had gone offline.

Hong Kong International Airport is among the top polluting hubs in the world, a UK thinktank has found.

On Wednesday, new data from global affairs thinktank ODI Global ranked Hong Kong’s airport as the world’s sixth most polluting in terms of flight CO2 emissions, and second in Asia-Pacific.

The study, based on 2023 data from the International Council on Clean Transportation, concluded that the fossil-fuel dependent aviation sector would be the fifth-largest emitter if it were a country.

Hong Kong emitted 15.1 million tonnes of CO2, and saw 138,764 flights, in 2023.

Seoul was Asia-Pacific’s most polluting airport, responsible for 16.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2023. Dubai topped the global ranking with 23.2 million tonnes of CO2, followed by London’s Heathrow.

The research also showed that Hong Kong’s airport was a significant source of local pollutants – it ranks ninth in the world, emitting 4,572 tonnes of nitrogen oxides in 2023.

The thinktank warned against reliance on so-called “sustainable” aviation fuels to bring down emissions, citing “high production costs and price premiums, limited policy support, weak long-term offtake commitments, bankability challenges and constraints on feedstock availability and sustainability.”

It also said that jet fuel emissions are predicted to increase and eat up future carbon budget: “The sector’s own high-growth scenario projects passenger demand could increase by 3.3% annually, from 9.0 trillion revenue passenger-kilometers (RPKs) in 2024 to 21.9 trillion RPKs in 2050. Between now and 2050, aviation is projected to consume 15% of the remaining carbon budget associated with 1.7ºC of warming.”

HKFP has reached out to the Environmental Protection Department and the Airport Authority for comment.

Coal miners in the sleepy Chinese county of Qinyuan sometimes dine at Zhang’s skewer eatery, especially on payday, so a gas explosion that killed at least 82 of these workers left her feeling sorrow for their bereaved families.

The tragedy unfolded in northern Shanxi province, with preliminary findings showing the company operating the mine had committed “serious” violations, state media reported Saturday.

The blast caused China’s worst mining disaster in 17 years, with search efforts ongoing to find two people still missing, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

A total of 247 workers were underground at the time of the blast, which occurred at 7:29 pm (1129 GMT) on Friday at the Liushenyu coal mine, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“This is the first time such a big accident has happened here,” Zhang, who only wanted to be known by her surname, told AFP.

Many of these men were their families’ main source of income, she said.

“Think about it. He’s at that age where he has both elderly parents and young children to support. Then he works in the coal mine, goes down the shaft and never comes back up,” Zhang added.

“How are they supposed to go on living?”

‘Someone’s father’

Police blocked AFP reporters from entering a road leading to the mine but a building bearing its name with the Chinese characters lit up by orange lights was visible in the distance.

Security officers sat by the curb, strictly guarding the gantry of the roads, only allowing authorised vehicles in. Ambulances and police cars entered.

A security guard at the entrance brushed off AFP’s questions as to whether any progress in rescue efforts had been made, saying he didn’t know anything.

But the guard said he hadn’t slept at all Friday night because work was too busy with people coming in and out.

At a gas station near the mine, workers shooed AFP journalists away when they were asked about the mining disaster.

“We can’t just casually comment on these things,” one man told AFP, without giving his name.

“We’re not aware of the details — we don’t know the exact cause or the specific situation.”

He said he hoped the number of deaths “isn’t that high”, before he hurried back inside the station.

At another restaurant selling Sichuan cuisine, a worker with the surname Li told AFP he had noticed ambulances whizzing by his place, frequently patronised by coal mine workers.

But he said he hadn’t been too emotionally affected, despite initially being surprised by the death toll.

“Working in a coal mine, this kind of accident is inevitable,” he said, adding that he hoped the missing people would be found soon.

A total of 128 people were sent to hospital for treatment, CCTV said.

One of the hospitals that took in people injured in the mine tragedy was cordoned off with tape. AFP spotted multiple police cars surrounding its perimeter.

Qinyuan county is peppered with coal mines, and outside one an electronic sign reads: “Go to work happy, go home safely”.

Zhang, grilling meat skewers on a stove, said she had that same wish: for the missing miners to be found safe and sound.

Even if the pay was good, coal miners were “basically earning money with their lives at risk”, she lamented.

She expressed hope that authorities would do all they could to prevent accidents like this and increase mine safety.

Zhang said she feels for families who lost loved ones in the mine explosion.

“He is also someone’s son, someone’s father, someone’s husband,” she said.