Accidents kill 45,409 in first three quarters

Accidents caused 45,409 deaths in China in the first three quarters of the year, a 15.3-percent year-on-year drop, China\'s work safety watchdog said Tuesday. A total of 210,797 accidents occurred during the January-September period, down 21.3 percent year on year, according to information released during a national work safety conference. Fu Jianhua, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, said 1,146 people have died in 650 mining accidents thus far this year. Deaths caused by illegal operations accounted for 46.5 percent of the total number of accidental deaths, Fu noted. Head of the State Administration of Work Safety Yang Dongliang stressed coal mine safety at the conference, adding that the administration will send supervisory groups to 20 major districts to start targeted checks. China\'s mines are among the deadliest in the world, with fatal accidents occurring frequently due to poor safety regulations and a lack of safety awareness. Authorities intend to shut down 625 small mines this year.