KEY POINTS:
Accidents at Chinese coal mines killed 3069 people in the first 10 months of this year, a drop of 19 per cent over the same period in 2006. But China is still ranked as the world's deadliest coal industry.
The number of deaths from all accidents declined 14 per cent to 79,000 in the period, the State Administration of Work Safety said.
China, the largest producer and consumer of coal, has battled to improve safety standards in its mines. But accidents are common as enforcement is lax and as mine owners push production beyond safety limits to meet robust demand for the fuel.
A total of 4746 Chinese coal miners were killed in thousands of blasts, floods and other accidents last year, down 20 per cent from 2005, according to official estimates.
China is also trying to shut by mid-2008 half of its 23,000 small coal mines, where most of the deaths occur.
- Reuters
