(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-14 09:26

ZHENGZHOU -- China has seen an improving work safety during the first seven months with the number of accidents and victims decreasing, said Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, on Monday.

The number of accidents during the period declined by 22.9 percent, while death toll went down 13.8 year on year, Li said without giving more details.

The number of major accidents that involving at least 10 deaths each dropped by 22.6 percent and the number of people killed in the accidents decreased by 20.5 percent, the official said.

The number of coal mine accidents and victims also went down, the official added.

However, Li said the work safety situation remained grave as the number of accident was still big.

Li Yizhong made the remarks while attending a conference commending the rescue of 69 miners, who were trapped in a flooded coal mine in Henan Province for more than three days, in Shanxian county.

The flooding occurred at around 8:40 a.m. on Sunday at the Zhijian coal mine in Sanmenxia's Shanxian county, about 200 kilometers west of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, when 102 miners were working underground. Thirty-three managed to escape by themselves.

Li has hailed "it's one of the most successful rescue operations in recent years".