Safety Concerns Don’t Slow China’s Coal Boom

From National Public Radio :

At the Datong coal mine in Chongqing Province, as in mines all over China, they are working around the clock. At least a couple of times a week, (and certainly with an American reporter preparing to join a crew of miners at the coal face) the shift begins with a safety briefing and a chorus of safety slogans, punctuated by the men punching their fists in the air.

“I am proud to be a coal miner here,” the men chant. “We have only one life to live and safety is the most important thing.”

Actually, China has the worst coal mine safety record in the world. Only two months ago, 105 men were killed in one mine. Last year, approximately 3,800 miners were killed in accidents.