China records double-digit drop in mining accidents, deaths

The overall number of mining accidents and fatalities dropped by 25.6 percent and 31.9 percent, respectively, as of end of August, the National Mine Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

Large accidents and associated deaths have fallen by 35 percent and 28.7 percent, respectively, while major accidents and above have decreased by 66.7 percent and 80 percent, the authority said, adding that no particularly serious accident has been reported.

In China, an accident with three to 10 deaths is considered as a large accident, while a major accident is defined as having 10 to 30 deaths. Accidents with more than 30 deaths are recognized as particularly serious.

It is noted that China's mining accidents remain concentrated in certain regions, such as Shanxi province and Guizhou province, adding that gas accidents have been a significant cause of mining accidents. State-owned coal mines have experienced most accidents and illegal coal mining accidents have occurred in some areas due to lax of regulations, according to Liu Weidong, deputy director of the administration's division of accident investigation and analysis.

As introduced by the administration, efforts to prevent mining accidents have been taken, including the identification and elimination of safety hazards, enhanced personnel training and supervision, and improvements in safety-related standards. By the end of August, 4,502 serious hazards in mining were identified and addressed in advance, with 2,403 being reported through enterprise self-inspection, according to the administration.

Huang Tiwei, deputy director of the division of policies and regulations and scientific and technological equipment, emphasized the importance of technical standards covering the full life cycle of mining. Since August 2023, 65 standards have been set up accordingly, with more in progress for 2024, Huang said.

Li Shangyi contributed to this story.