China warns of new wave of coal mine disasters

BEIJING (Reuters) - China, home to the world's deadliest mining industry, could be faced with a new wave of accidents as collieries start operations again following severe winter weather which forced many to close.

Build ups of deadly gases, flooding and unstable power supplies could all cause problems, said the official China Work Safety News, published by the State Administration of Work Safety.

"Because of the effects of the weather, many coal mines lost power and had to shut. Others closed over the Lunar New Year holiday, and small mines are starting to open again after the vacation, bringing huge pressures on safety," it said.

"The safety situation is much more serious than in previous years."

In the southern provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan, hard hit by recent snow and ice storms, almost 1,800 mines had accumulated gas build ups due to power cuts, and a further 600 mines had been flooded, the report said. "Power supplies to coal mines in disaster hit provinces are not as normal, leading to many hidden dangers," it added.

The work safety watchdog is stepping up inspections of mines, especially those in the process of re-opening, to try and nip potential problems in the bud, the report said.

Earlier this month nine people died in an explosion at a coal mine in northern China, as the government ordered scores of pits to stay open to alleviate a national power shortage brought on by the bad weather.

Accidents at Chinese mines cost about 3,700 lives last year.

China has the world's deadliest coal mining industry with fatal accidents almost on a daily basis as mine owners push production beyond safety limits as profits soar.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard)