Wednesday November 30, 2005

China coal-mine explosion toll hits 150

channelnewsasia.com :

China's central government has angrily blamed managers of a northeastern mine for a huge explosion that killed at least 150 people, saying obvious signs of danger emerged days before the blast. As rescue efforts wound down, the government's work safety watchdog turned its focus to the cause of the blast and quickly backed up assertions from victims's relatives that the mine's management disregarded warning signs.

Just over 6,000 people died in China's coal mines last year, according to government figures. State press said the figure represented 80 percent of global fatalities in the industry. Independent critics, including the Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin, say the number of coal mining deaths in China each year could be as high as 20,000. Fatalities often go unreported as mines seek to avoid costly shutdowns, the critics say.

The crisis has worsened in recent years as demand for coal has escalated to help fuel the nation's breakneck economic growth. China relies on coal for two-thirds of its energy needs and the government said early this month it intended to increase domestic coal production from 2.1 billion tons to 2.4 billion tons over the next five years.

(2005-11-30 17:30:45 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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