China's mining sector has had fewer accidents and a lower death toll this year as authorities make intensified efforts to eliminate safety hazards, the National Mine Safety Administration said on Dec 9.
By the end of last month, there had been 336 accidents in mines across the country this year, a year-on-year decrease of 14.9 percent. The number of people killed fell by 8.8 percent to 474, administration spokesman Zhao Yuhui said at a news conference.
For 60 straight months, the country has seen no especially serious accidents in coal mines, he said, adding that this year is the 13th consecutive year with no such accidents in other types of mines.
In China, especially serious accidents usually refer to those that claim more than 30 lives, seriously injure over 100 or cause economic losses that exceed 100 million yuan ($15.8 million).
Zhao, however, warned of a grim situation for production safety management in the sector, which has been worsened by higher coal prices.
As the end of the year approaches, some enterprises may be in a rush to complete annual production targets, exacerbating safety risks, he said.
Zhao also expressed concern that some production facilities may be overloaded as the country enters a "critical period" to increase coal production and ensure supply.
Coal prices have remained high this year, he said, adding that as some enterprises strive to increase production, they may fail to adequately upgrade safety measures.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planner, the country has been ramping up coal production since October to boost supplies and lower prices during the winter heating season.
China's average daily coal output hit roughly 11.7 million metric tons from Nov 1 to 5, an increase of more than 1.2 million tons from the average at the end of September. Maximum daily output reached about 11.9 million tons, a record high in recent years, Xinhua News Agency cited the NDRC as saying.
The decision to increase output was taken after the price for the most commonly traded thermal coal hit a record high of 1,982 yuan a ton on Oct 19.
Zhao said the administration is "resolutely resolved" to prevent an increase in the number of accidents, and its efforts to stamp out violations will never be relaxed.
Jing Jian, an official with the administration, said it has conducted a campaign to regulate the outsourcing of mine operations since May, with coal producers a key target.
Officials have so far inspected almost 3,800 mines across the country and identified 16,284 safety hazards, he said.
Jing said 353 mines had been asked to suspend production, and the administration had imposed penalties totaling over 36 million yuan.
