A committee for safe production under the State Council on 20 November ordered relevant local governments to streamline coal mine operations and shut down the unqualified ones. More than 12,000 Chinese mines have been ordered to suspend production, and they will be closed if they fail to pass government assessments at the end of this year.

The order came after a gas explosion occurred on 11 November at a mine run by the Bayinsai Coal Tar Co. Ltd. in Wuhai, a city in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, killing 16 miners and wounding three others. The mine did not have a required safety license.

The committee said in a statement that other mines should draw serious lessons from the deadly accident and "steadfastly prevent illegal production and curb the occurrence of big mining accidents."

As of 20 November, the death toll at Shagou colliery rises to 10 after a gas explosion occurred at the mine in Panlong Town, Liupanshui in Guizhou Province on 18 November. Six miners were still missing, but the chance for their survival is slim as "there is high density of carbon monoxide." Twenty-five miners were working underground when the blast occurred and caused a cave-in.

Police arrested the owner of Shagou colliery who is a native of Hunan Province and fled the mine after the accident. The colliery has a designed annual output of 30,000 tons and the blast happened when the mine was undergoing a technical reconstruction to lift is annual production capacity to 60,000 tons.

Meanwhile, a mine flood occurred at Yuandai Coal Mine in Xingtai City, Hebei Province, on 19 November. As of 21 November, the 14 miners who were working underground when the accident happened have been confirmed dead and their bodies have been retrieved.

Sources: Xinhuanet (20 November 2005, 21 November 2005)