China shut down 15,400 unlicensed coal mines since 2001
( 2003-07-27 11:44) (Xinhua)
The Chinese government has shut down more than
15,400 small coal mines without license or poor production conditions since
2001, an official said at a conference on the safety of coal mines held Thursday
in Jincheng of Shanxi Province, north China.
Most of the small coal mines were closed for failure to meet the minimum
safety standards to protect miners' lives.
Zhao Tiechui, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety, the
country's top watchdog on production safety, saidfive serious accidents occurred
in small unlicensed coal mines in China in the first half of 2003, killing 76
people.
He urged local governments to improve the administration and supervision of
coal mines, saying departments concerned should continue to shut down mines that
are unsafe or pollute the environment.
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