Interfax-China reported that China western Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region will shut down coal mines with annual output of less than 150,000 tonnes.

According to the announcement, the decision comes after an explosion claimed the lives of five miners at a small coal mine in Zhongwei City on June 28th.

The economically underdeveloped region, which has a population of only 6 million, currently produces more coal than it can consume.

According to statistics from the Ningxia National Development and Reform Commission, of the 56.7 million tons of coal that it produced last year, 25 million were exported to neighboring and eastern provinces such as Shaanxi, Gansu, Hebei, Shandong and Zhejiang.

(Sourced from Interfax-China)