Bloomberg reported that a coal mine explosion in China on October 29 brought the death toll from known pit accidents in the country this month to almost 100 and may increase demand for imports as some regional production gets curtailed.

State broadcaster China Central Television reported on its website that 29 people died in a blast at a mine in Hengyang city in central Hunan province. Deaths from publicly disclosed mining accidents this month total 97.

Government data show that the Chinese government is shutting small, unsafe pits and sacking officials as part of measures to improve the nation record of having the world deadliest mines. An average of more than six people died in the country coal mines every day last year compared with 48 for the entire year in the US the world second-biggest producer.

The nation had its deadliest coal mine accident in recent years in 2009 when more than 100 were killed in an explosion in the North Eastern province of Heilongjiang. Last year a blast in central Henan province killed at least 48 miners.

In an attempt to reduce deaths and improve safety, the government last year ordered supervisors to accompany miners into the pits.

The explosion in Hunan on October 29 was the deadliest this month. In other accidents, 17 were killed in Guizhou, 14 in Henan, 13 in both Chongqing and Heilongjiang and 11 in Shaanxi.

According to a circular published earlier this month the Chinese government set a target to reduce deaths per million metric tons of coal produced by more than 28% in the five years through 2015.

(Sourced from Bloomberg)