China, home to the world’s deadliest coal mines, has set a deliberately modest goal to reduce the death toll this year by beefing up safety and closing thousands of unsafe collieries, state media said.
Official figures show 3,341 gas explosions, pit floods and other accidents in Chinese coal mines killed 5,986 people in 2005, down by only 41 from 2004, which accounted for 80 percent of global coal mine deaths that year.
This year, China is aiming for a 3.5 percent decline in coal mine deaths.
See also “China sets modest goal in cutting coal mine deaths” from Xinhua.
