Our hearts go out to families of the trapped miners in Xintai, Shandong Province. We wish by some miracle the lives of their beloved ones will be saved.

The coal mine flooding which happened on Friday in the east China province trapped 181 miners.

Regrettably, bad news has come in droves this summer.

Hundreds of people have been killed in fierce rainstorms that have swept the country in the past two months, triggering floods, landslides and mud-rock flows.

While blaming global climate change as the main culprit for the abnormal weather this summer, we should gain some insight into how to better protect ourselves in the face of natural disasters.

If some preemptive measures had been taken initially, the situation could have been less tragic.

Shandong Province has been rain-soaked lately. Two major rainstorms swept the province last month, and earlier this month, killing 48 people and causing untold economic losses.

The wrath of nature should have triggered calls for enhancing work safety in the province, especially those enterprises near rivers.

In the wake of the accident, the State Administration of Work Safety ordered all low-lying coal mines in the province to check their drainage systems and stop production during rainstorms. It also asked coal mines nationwide to guard against floods.

Such measures are necessary to prevent similar tragedies from occurring again. Human lives are much more valuable and important than production yield.

It is also necessary for the watchdog to check whether the emergency-handling systems are up to standard in all places.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao had urged local governments to give priority to people's safety amid the ongoing battle against floods.

Governments at different levels should follow the orders and do efficient work. They should also be made responsible for issuing emergency flood warnings to residents.

Those who dare to slacken vigilance against the protection of people's lives should face severe consequences.

(China Daily August 21, 2007)