Guangdong Province will no longer produce fireworks and firecrackers, or accept any applications to set up new coal mines in an effort to prevent work safety mishaps, said Tong Xing, vice governor of the province.

Tong said at a meeting that the province will focus on prevention of big accidents to improve work safety in the next stage.

Besides quitting from the coal mining and the firecracker production, the provincial government will also intensify management in the industries of aquatic and land transport, fire control and dangerous chemical products.

Tong noted Guangdong saw a good beginning in work safety this year, but increased efforts are still needed to find and remove hidden troubles.

Last year, a deadly flooding killed 123 miners in the illegally run Daxsing Colliery in Guangdong.

Only four miners escaped, and rescuers only recovered the bodies of six of the 123 miners.

(Shanghai Daily March 30, 2006)