Northwest China's Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region will close all coal mines with a yearly
production capacity of less than 90,000 tons this year, a regional
official in charge of coal mines said Sunday. Most of the 483 mines
targeted cannot meet the basic requirements for occupational
safety.
From 1998 to 2004, Xinjiang shut down more than 800 such coal
mines. About 430 large coal mines will remain in operation after
completion of the industry's restructuring.
In 2004, Xinjiang's coal production reached 41.9 million tons,
but on average 3.2 people died for every million tons of coal
produced. After the closing of small mines, this rate is expected
to fall.
The average fatality rate in China per million tons of coal is
just under 4.0, about 100 times that of the US and 30 times that of
South Africa.
China reported a total of 3,639 fatal coal mine accidents last
year, causing 6,027 deaths, according to the General Administration
of Work Safety.?
Mining safety is one of the central government's top priorities
in 2005. Premier Wen
Jiabao announced early this month that the government will
spend 3.0 billion yuan (US$362.5 million) this year on improving
conditions.?
Following the Sunjiawan explosion on February 14, the State
Council announced the elevation of the former State Administration
of Work Safety from a deputy ministerial department to ministry
level.
"Giving us more power is a very important step to stop the
rising trend of fatal accidents," Huang Yi, a spokesman for the
administration, told China Daily in an interview.
In earlier attempts to close and clean up unsafe mines,
provincial and local governments frequently ignored the
administration, believing it lacked clout.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily March 14, 2005)