http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4413414.stm
China's authorities have ordered that coal miners should always be
accompanied underground by at least one manager, the Beijing News has reported.
The move is part of a renewed effort to improve standards in China's
mining industry, which has the world's worst safety record.
Officials said the manager's job would be to discover any potential
dangers before they lead to an accident.
At least 23 people died over the weekend in mining accidents in China.
More than 3,000 miners are reported to have been killed this year
alone - in fires, floods and other work-related accidents - and
analysts fear the actual annual casualty figure could be much higher.
Government crackdown
The government has recently begun a drive to improve safety standards
in China's mines, many of which are unlicensed.
The authorities have also been pressing local officials to give up
their shares in mines, since the conflict of interest has sometimes
led to profit being put ahead of safety.
A number of local officials have been sacked for negligence in recent
months, and in August the country announced it was suspending
production at a third of its coal mines until safety standards improved.
But despite these measures, accidents still happen regularly in mines
across the country.
On Sunday, a gas explosion killed at least 18 workers at a gypsum
mine in Xingtai city, Hebei province.
Rescuers are still searching for 20 workers believed to be trapped
when the mine collapsed, according to Xinhua news agency.
Another 15 people are confirmed to have died at the Taiping coal mine
in the northern province of Shanxi, Xinhua said.
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