Coal-rich province focuses on mine safety

BEIJING/TAIYUAN - The safety of coal miners has improved significantly and more efforts will be made in the coal-rich province of Shanxi to ensure things get even better, top local officials said during the sessions of the country's top legislature and political advisory body.

Many lives have been lost in the past in the province in mine accidents and the government should do more to prevent further fatalities, said Yuan Chunqing, Party chief of Shanxi province.

"About 400,000 people work in mines in Shanxi," he said. "When I took office last year, I reached a consensus with Governor Wang Jun that work safety was as important as economic growth to Shanxi. If work safety cannot be improved, people will not be living better lives."