Mining remains deadly in China

BEIJING – Chinese authorities acknowledged Thursday that not enough has been done to improve the country’s dismal work safety record, especially in the deadly coal mining industry.

Despite repeated government crackdowns, including a recent campaign that singled out 133 officials for punishment, accidents continue to soar due to illegal production and lax law enforcement.

“We have been too lenient; we have not been tough enough,” Li Yizhong, minister of the State Administration of Work Safety, said Thursday at a news briefing. “That’s why some businesses believe they will not be held accountable.”

The coal mining accidents killed 4,746 people last year, a drop of about 20 percent from the year before.

Chinese coal mines are the deadliest in the world. Since the beginning of this year, more than 400 miners have died in about 60 accidents.

Last Saturday, another gas explosion in the coal mining capital of Shanxi province killed 28 miners and injured 23. It was the second blast in the province in one week. The mine had reportedly been shut down but continued operation without a license.

“The illegal mining had gone on for some time, but inspectors failed to fulfill their duty,” said Zhao Tiechui, director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety Supervision.

The main reason for negligence is simple economics: China’s red-hot economy and role as the world’s factory gives it an insatiable appetite for energy. Coal provides 70 percent of the country’s energy needs, and some coal mine operators have become fabulously wealthy.

Coal production in the first four months of this year shot up by 6.4 percent. Prices also jumped by 6.2 percent, stimulating mining companies to operate beyond capacity and skirt safety rules, said Li.

In response, Beijing introduced a new set of rules effective next month to punish offenders. It has also begun to hand out much harsher sentences, including life imprisonment for violators.