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China reports rise in coal mine deaths
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-10 16:06
Nearly 6,000 people died in accidents in China's coal mines last year, with
the proportion of those killed in major disasters rising sharply, the government
reported Friday.
The total number of fatalities from 3,341 coal mine explosions, fires and
floods was 5,986, nearly level with the 6,027 people killed in 2004, the
National Development and Reform Commission said.
However, the number killed in major coal mine accidents jumped 60 percent to
3,586, it said.
The 0.7 percent decline in coal mine deaths last year fell far short of the
government's goal of reducing coal mine fatalities by at least 3 percent.
Miners have been forced to increase production to meet surging demand from
China's booming industries.
Coal output rose 7.9 percent in 2005 to 2.11 billion tons, the commission
reported.
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