China to enhance coal mine safety oversight

HEFEI -- Chinese authorities on Friday vowed to strengthen law enforcement for coal mine safety supervision and strictly ban suspended coal mines from planning production by themselves.

Safety supervision departments at different levels should eliminate outdated and unsafe coal production capacity according to the law, and enhance supervision over halting and resumption of production to prevent illegal production, said Huang Yuzhi, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety and director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, during a meeting held in Anhui Province.

Huang also urged coal mine safety departments at all levels to strictly fulfill their duty in safety inspections at coal mines.

Additionally, in the third quarter of this year, China will publish a blacklist of people in charge of coal mines where major accidents have occurred. Those who have been blacklisted will be disqualified, Huang added.