China will close down a number of ill-operated coal mines at the end of this month, said a work safety official Monday.

The country's work safety authority will release the list of the first batch of coal mines to be closed down, said Wang Xianzheng, deputy director of the National Bureau of Production Safety Supervision and Administration.

Before this bid, the bureau had ordered 8,648 coal mines which failed to renew their work safety certificates to stop operation for safety checks due to the frequent blasts and accidents took place in coal mines throughout the country.

Describing the closing of the mines as the most difficult part in the prevention process of coal mine accidents, Wang expected to confront resistance as the closing will certainly hurt the interests of the coal mine owners, as well as those who have benefits in that.

According to Wang, most provincial level authorities have submitted their specific steps for coal mine safety check to the bureau, "But many of them only give vague plans only with deadlines set as late December."

The bureau had already required them to report more detailed plans, said Wang.

"All the coal mines that fail to pass the check will be closed down this year," he said.

However, the closing acts should be carried out exactly according to laws and may employ law enforcement, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2005)