China pledges coal mine safety checks in June

BEIJING, June 17 (Reuters) - China will step up inspections of coal mines in coal-rich provinces after a series of accidents in coal mines run by state-owned firms, which are normally believed to be safer than smaller private mines.

The State Administration of Coal Mine Safety will send teams to mines in Shanxi and Hebei provinces, with a focus on preventing gas explosions and floods, the Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday.

Shanxi is the top coal producing province.

State-owned coal mines are generally safer since their size and operational history means they are more likely to have invested in safer equipment, are more likely to obey regulations, and are more likely to have trained miners whose families are also employed by the firm.

Poor mapping of mine tunnels, particularly in areas where mines are owned by different companies, can still lead to flooding and collapses caused by walls carved too thin.

On May 30, some 25 miners died at the Tonghua Coal Mine, affiliated with state-owned Songzao Mining Bureau of Chongqing. Their deaths were blamed on "illegal mining practices."

Safety crackdowns have in the past helped lift the price of coal, adding to the incentive to disregard safety. (Reporting by Lucy Hornby; editing by James Jukwey)

www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-17 22:57:17

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