Each year 7000 die in coal mines

Milan  (AsiaNews) – Around 7000 workers die each year in China's coal mines. To date, the government has not released precise estimates on the number of deaths recorded last year; still it sustains there were less fatal accidents than in 2003 than in 2002. 

This assertion, however, seems to go against what the State Adminstration of Work Safety has said, namely that with respect to the same period in the first 8 months of 2002, there were 25% more deaths in coal mining accidents in 2003. 

From the statistical data it is clear that from January to October 2003 there were 7197 work-related deaths in mines (mostly in coal mining facilities).   

In 2002 there were 3.4 million people working in state-run mines. However there are no precise figures on employees of privately owned and operated mines (in part due to protecting personal interests of local authorities).

In the last ten years 60,000 small mines have been officially closed.  Hence it would seem logical for there to be a reduction in the toll of deaths at government sponsored mining operations. In theory, the most hazardous mines ought to be closed or those whose small size do not merit new investments in machinery and risk-reducing structures. 

Howeverm, many mines are only nominally closed and continue to operate without government authorization.

Every once in a while newspaper headlines report accidents and deaths in mines together with statements about their owners who don't have permits or have hired untrained local farmers and migrant workers (from other provinces without work or residence permits) to perform dangerous tasks. 

Rui Susheng, chairman of the Chinese Institute of Coal Research, said: "The real situation is covered up by local government officials, since it is these very same people who have invested interests in the small mines." 

• china
• mines
• human
• rights
• work
• safety