With ten days left in the year, the number of miners killed in
Chinese coal mines has dropped by 21 percent compared to the same
period last year.
"The work safety situation is still grave, however. We can't
relax," said Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work
Safety, at a press conference Thursday.
Chinese coal mines, ill-reputed as the most dangerous and
deadliest in the world, claimed 5,948 deaths last year. A 21
percent decline in the number of miners killed would mean around
4,800 people lost their lives in coal mine accidents.
Li said so far this year, the number of so-called major
accidents in which ten or more miners are killed, decreased by 42
percent.
This is due in part to the closure of many illegally-operated
small mines, said Zhao Tiechui, SAWS deputy head at the press
conference.
China will have closed 1,704 illegal small mines by the end of
this year, said Zhao, adding that the number of miners killed in
small mines dropped by 851 so far this year.
At the press conference, the SAWS announced the results of its
investigations into 11 major accidents of various types, which
claimed 535 lives, with 11 people still missing and economic losses
amounting to 415 million yuan (US$53 million).
The administration's investigations resulted in 117 people being
referred to judicial departments to face criminal charges and 166
people, including two provincial officials, were sanctioned by the
Communist Party or given administrative penalties.
Amongst the accidents investigated, one involved a passenger
plane operated by the China Eastern Airlines which crashed in
Baotou City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on
November?21, 2004, leaving 55 people dead.
Li Fenghua, chairman of the airlines company, was given an
administrative warning, while Luo Chaogeng, general manager of the
company, was given a serious administrative demerit. The crash
resulted from ice on the wings of the aircraft, the investigation
revealed.
In another accident, 56 people were killed in a colliery blast
in Zuoyun County of north China's Shanxi Province in May this year.
The files of 48 suspects were transferred to judicial
departments to face possible criminal charges, including five local
safety watchdog officials who were arrested on charges of
bribery.
(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2006)
