Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will close all coal mines with a yearly production capacity of less than 90,000 tons this year, a regional official in charge of coal mines said Sunday. Most of the 483 mines targeted cannot meet the basic requirements for occupational safety.

From 1998 to 2004, Xinjiang shut down more than 800 such coal mines. About 430 large coal mines will remain in operation after completion of the industry's restructuring.

In 2004, Xinjiang's coal production reached 41.9 million tons, but on average 3.2 people died for every million tons of coal produced. After the closing of small mines, this rate is expected to fall.

The average fatality rate in China per million tons of coal is just under 4.0, about 100 times that of the US and 30 times that of South Africa.

China reported a total of 3,639 fatal coal mine accidents last year, causing 6,027 deaths, according to the General Administration of Work Safety. 

Mining safety is one of the central government's top priorities in 2005. Premier Wen Jiabao announced early this month that the government will spend 3.0 billion yuan (US$362.5 million) this year on improving conditions. 

Following the Sunjiawan explosion on February 14, the State Council announced the elevation of the former State Administration of Work Safety from a deputy ministerial department to ministry level.

"Giving us more power is a very important step to stop the rising trend of fatal accidents," Huang Yi, a spokesman for the administration, told China Daily in an interview.

In earlier attempts to close and clean up unsafe mines, provincial and local governments frequently ignored the administration, believing it lacked clout.

(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily March 14, 2005)