China acts after mine explosions kill 50

Thousands have died in a series of deadly accidents

Officials in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi have ordered all small coal mines to halt production for safety checks after more than 50 miners were killed in a series of gas explosions in the past week.

In the latest incidents, 14 miners were killed after an explosion at a pit near Jincheng, and the same number were trapped following a blast at another mine at Datong.

Four mine officials have been detained by police after more than 30 people died in a mine explosion at Podi on Thursday. The state-run China Daily newspaper said the mine was operating illegally.

China's coal industry is the world's largest, but also one of its deadliest, with 5,300 deaths reported last year alone in mining accidents.

A local official in Shanxi was reported as saying if any mines carried on operating and there were further accidents, those responsible would be dealt with "harshly".

State media said on Sunday that the Chinese cabinet had approved spending of $64m on improving safety.

A police spokesman said those arrested included the owner of the privately-run Podi coal mine in Shanxi province, Hou Junping.

Twelve miners were rescued from the mine in Jiaocheng county after the blast late on Thursday, the official news agency Xinhua said.

Another explosion occurred on Wednesday at a mine in Yuxian county, about 50km (30 miles) south-west of the local capital, Taiyuan.

Poor ventilation

Initial investigations point to a blockage in a ventilation system caused after a new shaft was built too close to a former one.

The China Daily newspaper said two workers in Yuxian had been rescued after the blast and 26 had escaped from the small mine.

The Yuxian mine was due to close because of "small production and flawed safety standards", the China Daily said.

A Xinhua report quoted an official as saying the mine had been shut since June and the workers on site were making repairs.

Lack of safety

But the agency quoted a survivor as saying the workers had been mining coal when the blast happened.

In September, at least 23 people were killed in a similar blast in Shanxi.

Most miners comes from poor rural areas with high unemployment, and are willing to jeopardise their lives to earn a living.

The main causes of mining accidents include lack of training, poor engineering and a lack of basic safety features such as adequate ventilation to disperse coal gas produced while mining.