China's mining rescue efforts have had solid achievements, with the number of rescue teams reaching 397 and trained rescuers reaching 25,000, according to the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS).

In addition, 18 mining medical rescue bases and 24 medical rescue teams have been established, involving 8,000 medical workers, SAWS sources said.

Since 2004, national mining rescue teams have worked on 13,864 mining accidents and rescued 18,775 people, saving the lives of 6,315.

China's mining accidents and related deaths have been dropping sharply this year, the coal mining industry, for example, had 25.5 percent fewer accidents and 23.7 percent fewer deaths in the first seven months.

However, the actual number of deaths is still high. In the three months from May to July, coal mine accidents left 903 dead, according to SAWS figures.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2008)