China to close 6,000 coal mines in safety push - Guardian

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

China to close 6,000 coal mines in safety push

Tania Branigan in Beijing
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday November 19 2008 11.41 GMT

China has promised to close 6,000 collieries over the
next two years as it battles to improve safety in the
world's deadliest mines.

More than a third of the country's coal pits would shut
by the end of 2010, said the vice-premier, Zhang Dejiang.
The closures would leave China with fewer than 10,000
coalmines.

-snip-

A safety drive has cut deaths by almost a fifth since 2005,
on average more than 10 people died each day last year in
mining incidents such as flooded shafts and collapses. The
true death toll, including mining-related illnesses, is
believed to be much higher.

-snip-

The authorities are seeking to boost production at larger,
often state-owned pits, and October's drop in electricity
output - the first in four years - may make it easier to
meet needs while improving safety. There has been a
decline in electricity consumption, thought to reflect the
impact of the global downturn and other economic
pressures on heavy industry.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/19/china-coal