Reform nation's coal mines

Ineffective supervision and weak law enforcement deeply rooted in the pursuit of profit result in too many lives lost

Figures show China has the worst safety record of all leading coal producers worldwide. And the situation lacks fundamental improvement in recent years. In 2009, China's coal production accounted for 37 percent of the world's total, but related deaths accounted for almost 70 percent, an official from the National Energy Bureau said.

What made mining coal in China so dangerous?