China will do more to prevent coal mine gas blasts next year,
after an explosion in north China killed 105 people earlier this
month.
This year, China reported 898 deaths in 236 such accidents from
January to November, according to information presented during a
work conference of the colliery gas accident prevention panel held
on Monday.
There were 57 fewer accidents than in the same period last year,
down 19.5 percent, and the death toll was down 312 persons or 25.8
percent, according to the panel, which was set up to improve the
safety record of the industry.
But prevention remained difficult, as illustrated by recent
accidents, the meeting heard. Participants at the meeting cited the
deadly accident that claimed 105 lives in north China's Shanxi
Province.
Participants decided that China would approve no mines with a
capacity of less than 300,000 tons next year. Small coal mines have
been a major source of hazards due to poor safety facilities and
slack management.
The panel pledged to work to prevent gas accidents through
tougher regulations and enforcement in 2008.
The country should also start extracting coal bed methane from
mines as an industry, because the gas was a prime cause of
explosions when left in place, the panel heard. Currently
production of coal bed methane is hampered by a lack of technology.
The participants at the meeting made a decision for China to set up
two national engineering research centers for this purpose and plan
to run 10 demonstration projects.
China has already invested 3 billion yuan (US$405.4 million),
raised through treasury bond issues, into coal mine gas accident
prevention work annually over the past three years, according to
Zhang Guobao, Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform
Commission and also head of the prevention panel.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2007)