Xingtai City of north China's Hebei Province has worked out rules to pose fines as much as one million yuan (US$12.34 million) on coal mines for each dead in the fatal accidents.

The rules will be effective and implemented during a 100-day safety rectification campaign scheduled between Nov. 21 and February-end of the next year, according to the city government.

Under the rules, the underground non-coal mines each will face fines totaling 500,000 yuan for per death. Firecracker plants and dangerous chemicals plants will each be fined 300,000 yuan per death during the 100 days.

The new measures were promulgated following two recent fatal mine accidents which claimed 47 lives and left four missing in the city.

At 7:40 PM on November 6 a gypsum mine collapsed in Shangwang village of Huining township in Xingtai county, damaging two other gypsum mines nearby, toppling a two-story building and leaving cracks on the ground. The mishap left 33 dead, in addition to four missing.

A flood that occurred at 5:00 AM on November 19 in Yuanda Coal Mine in Xingtai City trapped and killed 14 miners underground.

Besides the Xingtai Mining Industry Group, all local coal mines, underground non-coal mines, and firecracker plants have been ordered to suspend production and conduct safety check-ups. All those mines and plants which can not meet the safety requirements will be shut down, according to report titled "Decisions on Operation of Highly Dangerous Enterprises" issued by the Xingtai city government.

The decisions require mines and plants to compensate the families of workers who are killed at their work place during the campaign period according to state laws and provincial regulations. Concerned mines and plants will be fined according to the announced penalties.

The city government has also promised a reward of 10,000 yuan for any citizen who reports the illegal mine and plant operations.

Leading Party and government officials at the city, county and township levels will be required to resign from their posts in the event of fatal accidents in the mines under their administration, the decision said.

Party and government officials of county and township levels who are found to provide electricity, funds, transportation and materials to the illegal mines and officials who give tacit consent to illegal operations of mines will be given serious punishment.

Currently, the city has 157 coal mines, 621 non-coal mines, seven firecracker plants and 198 dangerous chemicals plants.

(Xinhua News Agency November 24, 2005)