In a massive crackdown on illegal coal mines China shut down 1,289 such mines last year. The nationwide effort was undertaken to cull the illegal production of coal in the country. 86 people have also arrested on criminal charges related to mine safety.
Zhao Tiechui the deputy head of State Administration of Work Safety said that the growing demand for energy in China had helped push up the illegal coal mining activities. However these mines were not safe to work and death tolls in 2011 till July reached 1,083 from 673 accidents and mishaps.
This was 31% lower than the incidents last year when a spokesperson of the State Administration of Work Safety had said that lax enforcement of safety laws and poor equipment were partly to blame for making Chinese coal mines among the most dangerous in the world.
China is the world's largest steel producer and needs the coal to keep its blast furnaces in operation. The nationwide crackdown is an effort is designed to end the illegal production of coal. Pradeep Kumar Jha, analyst with an investment institution said that both China and India are experiencing major economic growth recently and they owe it almost entirely to coal.