The aim is to improve safety in the industry. Every year, thousands of miners die amid general indifference. The tragedy is due to widespread corruption among public officials who take kickbacks to let companies to operate despite their poor safety records.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The Chinese government announced that it will shut down at least 2,000 small coal mines by the end of 2015 as it tries to improve safety standards in its deadliest industry. Each year, thousands of miners die after working in appalling conditions amid general indifference.

Mines targeted will be those with an annual output of less than 90,000 tonnes that fail to uphold to safety rules.

Approval will also end for new coalmines with an annual capacity of less than 300,000 tonnes, the State Council, China's Cabinet, said in a statement on Saturday.

At present, the mainland has about 12,000 mines, of different sixe. The country is rich in coal, but according to some estimates, that will not be enough to keep its current pace of industrial development.

As the world's largest consumer of coal, China relies for 70 per cent of its ever-growing energy needs on the black rock.

According to the latest government figures, 1,384 people were killed in the coalmine accidents in 2012 against 1,973 in 2011, a drop of 19 per cent.

However, for human rights groups and independent Chinese scholars, the actual figure is much higher since mine owners tend to underreport accidents for fear of economic losses, fines, and mine closure.

Very often, local authorities also get kickbacks to turn a blind eye on the lack of safety measures.

For China's new President Xi Jinping, mine closings is part of his broader campaign against corruption among Communist officials.

• china
• coal
• mines
• closure
• poor
• safety
• records