Article: 7,000 coal mines to close in crackdown

In the face of a rising death toll this year, China has ordered one-third of its coal mines to suspend production by the end of this year because they are unsafe.

Industry insiders said the suspension will leave a huge number of miners jobless, but coal supply will only be slightly affected because most of the pits involved are small.

The State Administration of Coal Mine Safety publicized yesterday the first group of 1,324 mines that are required to stop production and meet national safety standards. If they do not, they will be shut down permanently.

"The number is not all of the mines on the suspension list; the total will reach 7,000 soon," the administration's press officer, surnamed ...

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