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7 000 mines to close
31/08/2005 12:47 - (SA)
Beijing - China is suspending production at 7 000 coal mines - or about one-third of the nationwide total - in a safety crackdown on the accident-plagued industry, a government newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The mines, most of them small and poorly equipped, will be required to improve safety measures and will not be allowed to reopen if they fail to meet national standards, the China Daily said.
The announcement came two days after 123 miners missing in a flooded coal mine in southern China were declared dead in a highly publicised disaster. Eleven mine officials blamed for the accident have been detained and two local mayors dismissed.
Work suspended, many jobs on the line
So far, 1 324 mines have closed, and the rest must suspend production by the end of the year, the China Daily said. It said China's energy supplies should not be affected, because the mines account for only a small fraction of coal output.
The newspaper said it was not clear how many miners might lose their jobs.
China has about 24 000 coal mines, according to the government.
Fires, floods and other accidents killed more than 5 000 Chinese coal miners last year. Many are blamed on lack of fire-control and ventilation equipment or failure to enforce safety rules.
Despite repeated official promises to tighten enforcement, the death toll in coal mine accidents rose 33% in the first half of this year to 2 672, according to the government.
"Collusion between government officials and colliery owners worsens the work safety situation and makes it more difficult for work safety departments to address the problem," the China Daily said.
- AP
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