With ten days left in the year, the number of miners killed in Chinese coal mines has dropped by 21 percent compared to the same period last year.

"The work safety situation is still grave, however. We can't relax," said Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, at a press conference Thursday.

Chinese coal mines, ill-reputed as the most dangerous and deadliest in the world, claimed 5,948 deaths last year. A 21 percent decline in the number of miners killed would mean around 4,800 people lost their lives in coal mine accidents.

Li said so far this year, the number of so-called major accidents in which ten or more miners are killed, decreased by 42 percent.

This is due in part to the closure of many illegally-operated small mines, said Zhao Tiechui, SAWS deputy head at the press conference.

China will have closed 1,704 illegal small mines by the end of this year, said Zhao, adding that the number of miners killed in small mines dropped by 851 so far this year.

At the press conference, the SAWS announced the results of its investigations into 11 major accidents of various types, which claimed 535 lives, with 11 people still missing and economic losses amounting to 415 million yuan (US$53 million).

The administration's investigations resulted in 117 people being referred to judicial departments to face criminal charges and 166 people, including two provincial officials, were sanctioned by the Communist Party or given administrative penalties.

Amongst the accidents investigated, one involved a passenger plane operated by the China Eastern Airlines which crashed in Baotou City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on November 21, 2004, leaving 55 people dead.

Li Fenghua, chairman of the airlines company, was given an administrative warning, while Luo Chaogeng, general manager of the company, was given a serious administrative demerit. The crash resulted from ice on the wings of the aircraft, the investigation revealed.

In another accident, 56 people were killed in a colliery blast in Zuoyun County of north China's Shanxi Province in May this year.

The files of 48 suspects were transferred to judicial departments to face possible criminal charges, including five local safety watchdog officials who were arrested on charges of bribery.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2006)